Tales of Phantasia: Syukuzen no Teishi
by Ayame Majikku
Summary: Sequel to Teishi ni Hikkakamasu. Ami and Suzu head to Derris-Kharlan as ambassadors, but while there, things start to go wrong in Aselia. Now they have to team up with new and old allies to save Aselia from a demon named Hades. But who can they trust?
1. BC00: Broken Memories

**Welcome to Syukuzen no Teishi! This is the sequel to Teishi ni Hikkakamasu, so if you haven't read that one yet, it'd probably be best if you do that first.**

**As for how long after TnH this one is and who the main character is this time around... I'll leave that 'til the next chapter. I'll give you free air if you guess either of those correctly, though. (I didn't post it anywhere, did I?...)**

**This is the prologue... It's a bonus chapter because it's set from someone else's point of view. However, who is a secret for now.**

**I'm also going to do things a little differently this time around, but I'll get to that later. For now, enjoy the prologue!**

**Oh right, and one more thing! I need to know—do you guys want me to continue using honorifics and terms like 'onii-chan', or should I drop them and use only English? (Thus using Chester's name most of the time for 'onii-chan', or 'brother' if it's appropriate). If anyone who reviews would please give me their opinion, that would be great! If I get no opinions, I'll probably at least use honorifics to start out with.**

**(Edit: Now this site suddenly won't let me do an ? and a ! together. Geez they're taking away creativity...)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales series. It's owned by Namco Bandai.**

**--Bonus Chapter 00: Broken Memories--**

_"Where am I...? Everything's so dark... and my body feels so heavy... I can barely move..."_

Everything... is dark...

_"What's your name?"_

My name...

_"That's a good question... I... I don't remember..."_

_"All right, I've got it. From now on, this tree's name is..."_

A tree's name... What is it...? I feel like I should know it...

_"Why... why do we have to fight...? I don't understand..."_

_"What side am I on? Who's my friend... and who's my enemy? How do I know who to trust anymore...?"_

Trust can be hard to define... People lie and steal... but... I still...

_"T-thank you for helping me back there... My name is Catherine..."_

_"This is the evil in our hearts... This is the doubts and fears that we've been feeling, our mistrusting sides. Drown it out!"_

_"It hurts... it hurts so much... Please, stop...!"_

I see... So these are painful...

_"I'm alive now, and I'm not dying again... Not for a long time."_

_"This is what our existence means... Humans, elves, and half-elves fear us... Your own leaders have done this to us..."_

Fear... Why do people fear...?

_"If I ever do anything stupid like that again to you, knock some sense into me, okay?"_

_"I'm going to show them... I'm going to show them all that I can make something great!"_

Something great... Is that possible...? Maybe... I want to try...

_"I can finally start living again... I can recover now... I suppose I have those four to thank, right?"_

_"The girl named Merilynn was once my friend. Next time we meet, I want to see her again..."_

_"Take me with you! I wanna see the future! Can humans use magic? Are there artificial summon spirits? What other wonders do you have in your time?"_

_"I'll... I'll do it! I'll help you, no matter what! I won't allow this sadness to continue any longer!"_

After sadness... is hope...

_"You're lonely, aren't you?"_

_"Lonely...? There's lots of life around here..."_

_"We have to help him... He'll die if left here like this..."_

_"Even if he's a demon...?"_

Hope... and kindness...

_"I want you to watch for them, Chester. Then you and the rest of the world will see that one person can make a difference!"_

_"I'll be waiting..."_

One person... can make a difference... Is that true...?

_"Friends...? ...I don't understand, but... I... I want to try..."_

_"All right, then. We're gonna try and stop this magitech stuff so you can recover... so no destroying-all-humans stuff, okay?"_

I wonder if I have any friends...

_"This is it... I know how we'll free our world..."_

_"Chester? What's wrong?"_

_"I want to understand... what it means to be a human..."_

_"Yggdrasil's missing... I have to find him..."_

_"I'm coming with you."_

_"It's okay... I'll be fine! You guys hurry up and show those gods a thing or two! And I'll catch up with you later—promise!"_

Desperation... People often cling to false hopes...

_"I can tell you where to find him... Yggdrasil..."_

_"Where is he?"_

_"No... Don't hurt him...!"_

_"I've lost it... My only form of communication... with the real world... is gone... What should I do...? What if I never see them again...? What if I never see _her_...?"_

_"Break the seal."_

_"I..."_

_"The radius will be approximately 328 kilometers."_

_"You can die alone!"_

_"Not a chance!"_

_"I lost him... I lost my friend..."_

Why... Why does it always end in death...?

_"Let's work together! I'll lend you my strength!"_

_"At least... I succeeded... I can die in peace knowing that..."_

_"This is a nightmare... I want to change it... I want to go back and redo it..."_

A nightmare... Can a nightmare become a dream...?

_"Arche... I..._

_"I....."_

**? received the title of Broken Memories. Many memories converge into one... What do they all mean...?**


	2. C01: Ambassador

**Well, here's the official first chapter of Syukuzen no Teishi! As you can see, I'm numbering chapters in the title this time. It makes my life easier, since bonus chapters have already started messing up the numbering system.**

**Anyway, the main character of this story is Ami Barklight. It's set six years after TnH, so she and Suzu are 17 now. Chester, Arche, and Cless are 23, Mint's 24... you get the picture.**

**Also, the chapter title will not always be Ami's title for the chapter. Geez it got hard thinking up titles for Chester in the last story... Anyway, it'll be a title given to anyone... whichever title I feel represents the chapter best.**

**And since I couldn't review Sherra-san's reply through email... You were close enough on the years that you get free air~ Congrats! Never would've gotten it anywhere else! (Sorry, I'm so weird). And thank you for the review~ Looks like I'm still using honorifics~**

**So with that, enjoy the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco Bandai.**

**-Chapter 01: Ambassador-**

"Onii-chan!" I burst open the door to his room, where he's sitting at his desk, doing some paperwork.

"Don't you know how to knock?" he says without looking up. He's six years older than me, at age twenty-three. He has long, blue hair, tied back in a ponytail and narrow blue eyes. He's wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and khaki pants.

"Not really. Doing more work for Cless-san?"

"Unfortunately..." He sets the pencil down and sits back in his chair, stretching his arms. He stares at me. "So what's up?"

"'What's up'? You're going to be a father soon, and you're sitting here and dong paperwork? Shouldn't you be spending time with Arche-san?"

"We still have another few months..."

"So what are you going to name your kid?"

"Dunno... I figured I'd just let Arche handle that. She'll throw a fit if it's not perfect... Honestly, her attitude's somehow gotten even worse than usual..."

Heh heh, it's hard to tell from what he says, but Onii-chan really cares about Arche-san. They've been married for four years now.

"Anyway, don't you leave today?" he asks me.

"Yep! How do I look?" I spin around so he can see my entire outfit—I'm wearing a light blue dress with a dark blue stitch pattern near the edge. At the top of the dress is an oval magenta jewel. From that jewel, two white, translucent ribbons come out either side and tie into a bow in the back. On my feet are socks and cute, blue boots with matching ribbons on the back of them. I've put my blue hair into low pigtails, with large magenta beads to tie them.

"...Like a school girl."

"Onii-chan! This is a cute outfit!"

"As I said."

"I don't look like a school girl! I look like a pretty young lady!"

"If you say so." He has a smug grin planted on his face. He's making fun of me again... He's such a jerk! "Where's your hammer?"

"I doubt we'll run into any trouble... We're just going to talk to the leader of the biggest nation in Derris-Kharlan. He's like a king or something!"

"So... where's your hammer?"

"It's in this wing pack." I pull it out of my breast pocket and hold it up for him to see. "That way it's hidden!"

"Good. Just don't forget it anywhere."

"I won't...!"

"So, do I get to see Suzu before you go?"

"Only if you come with me to Thor."

He stands. "Gladly. I'm tired of this junk. You sure I can't go with you?"

"You have Arche-san to take care of..."

"Right, right..." He walks over to me. "Then let's go, kid."

"I'm not a kid...!"

"You're only seventeen. You're a kid."

"Onii-chan...!"

He laughs and leads the way out; I follow. Still... I remember when he was seventeen... back when we had our adventure... when we fought the gods of Aselia... It was hard, but we still had a lot of fun together. And I'm glad we're all still friends...

...Except...

"Hey, maybe Suzu-chan and I will see Dhaos-san there!"

"...If you do, do me a favor; punch him for me."

"Onii-chan...! Why do you still hate him so much? We haven't even seen him in six years!"

"He gets on my nerves." Onii-chan pulls out a wing pack and opens it to bring out a flying machine—a Rheaird—for us. "I'm driving."

"If you'd just give him a chance..." Onii-chan hops on, and I get on behind him.

"I think he had plenty. We spent how long with him on our adventure? He got on my nerves the whole time." He starts up the machine and lifts us off the ground. We start flying towards the city of Thor.

"I still don't understand why..."

"He's arrogant and annoying."

I sigh; there's just no talking Onii-chan out of hating him... Still, it seems kinda unusual to me...

"We're here." He lands on the island; Suzu-chan's already there waiting.

After landing, I hop off and hurry over to her. "Suzu-chan...!" She's a ninja with long, light brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She's wearing a light brown ninja shirt over a white scarf. A pink ribbon ties around her waist, coming to a bow in the back; another keeps her hair up in its ponytail. Her sleeves and the ends of her brown gloves and boots all end in a black net, and she wears socks that come up over her knees under her tall boots. Her shorts are dark brown.

"Ami, Chester-san."

"Hey there. That's a nice outfit."

"Thank you."

"Why don't you compliment me on my outfit...?"

"Simple: because you're my kid sister."

"You're horrible, Onii-chan!"

"Chester-san, how's Arche-san doing...?"

"Fine, besides the random mood swings. It's scarier than usual. And she's turned into a bottomless pit..."

"It sounds like she's doing well, then."

"Sure, you can call it that... Hey, did Cless not come to see you off?"

"Cless-san and Mint-san were here, but they got called away on urgent business. Some of the knights were causing problems again..."

"Dammit, those guys _really_ need a life. Why did they even like the late king, anyway...?"

"They were taught loyalty to the king... Cless-san is a peasant from the country—they don't respect him," Suzu-chan sums it up.

"Well they're just causing even more problems for Cless... Maybe I'll go help him out with that after you guys leave."

"You probably should. Are you ready, then, Ami?"

"I'm ready! Let's go!" We head down into one of the old research buildings. We walk through it, straight to our goal—the time-space transference machine known as Cust.

"You two will be able to get back fine, right?"

"Yep! King Enma said he has a way of sending us back, and that gives us time to talk to him as well as this other leader."

"Who is this guy you're going to meet, anyway?"

"He runs the country of Welgaia; remember that angel city we visited in the past? It's in the same area!"

"Oh, you mean the one with the lifeless angels? Yeah, I remember."

"Yeah, that's it! Anyway, his name is... Ya...fur...mander... Remdol."

"Ya-what?"

"Yafirmader. It's similar to 'king'. It's his title," Suzu-chan explains.

"Yep! His name is Remdol-san."

"...Why is the title so long...?"

"I hear that most just call him by the title. I've been trying to learn it... but it's hard to remember..."

"I remember it. Leave the introductions to me."

"Right. Thank you, Suzu-chan!"

"We should go now."

"All right." Suzu-chan and I step onto the machine, and it speaks up.

"I am Cust, time-space transference machine. Where do you wish to go?"

"Derris-Kharlan, pre—"

"Wait...!" Onii-chan speaks up. I look at him curiously. He tosses a bag up to me, which I catch. "Some supplies. Be careful."

"We will! Thank you, Onii-chan!"

"Cust, take us to Derris-Kharlan, just outside of the capital of Welgaia, present time!" Suzu-chan orders, and it starts warping us. I wave as Onii-chan vanishes...

We land on a cliff overlooking the city. "Wow... It's so big...!" It's bigger than even Alvanista... And on the far side is the palace. "...All right, let's go talk to Ya... Remdol...san..."

"Yafirmader."

"Right, Yafirmader! I'll remember that!" We walk down the cliff and into the city.

Wow, this city is really amazing...! There are angels flying all around, without a care in the world. All the buildings are tall and sleek... Some doors to shops are up high, with a balcony for angels to land on. I guess this place wasn't built for humans at all... Still, this place is very interesting! It's very bright and busy, not at all like the city we saw six years ago.

...Thousands of years ago, in Aselia's time...

"Hey, Suzu-chan, keep an eye out for Dhaos-san! I think he said that he lives here."

"We'll ask around about him when we are done with our business here."

"Yay, thank you!" Speaking of our business... the palace looks a lot bigger up close... There are guards flying all around it, most armed with spears. As we approach, two guards hold their spears over the door to keep us from attempting to enter.

"Halt! State your name and business here."

"I'm Ami Barklight, and this is Suzu Fujibayashi. We're the ambassadors from Aselia."

"We're here to talk to Yafirmader Remdol on behalf of Aselia."

"Ah, yes... I've heard that two humans from Aselia were coming. Follow me; I'll take you to meet him." Both guards move their spears out of the way, and the one that was talking turns and leads the way inside; Suzu-chan and I follow.

It's very bright and open inside the palace. I guess Ya... Remdol-san doesn't have to worry about assassination or anything, to have a palace this open... I wonder if he's strong... Well, he _does_ lead the largest nation in Derris-Kharlan—

Oh, we've stopped. We're in a sitting room with a beautiful open view of the city. The guard turns to us. "Wait here. I will get the Yafirmader for you." He turns and walks out of the room. Suzu-chan and I sit down on one of the white couches. This place is so nice... I never would've guessed that Derris-Kharlan is so gorgeous!

Eh...? Suzu-chan looks a little tense... It's hard for most to tell, but I've known her for so long... "Is something wrong, Suzu-chan?"

"I get the feeling... that we're being watched."

"Eh...? Watched...? By who...?"

"I don't know... but keep your guard up."

I nod. "Right!"

We fall back into silence as we wait. I stare out at the city, watching the angels in the distance fly around...

"...I wonder what's taking so long..."

There's a loud noise—and rumbling—an explosion...? Inside the palace...? I jump up—"Suzu-chan...!"

"I know. Let's hurry and make sure everyone's all right." She's also already standing.

"Could you tell where it came from?"

"Yes. Follow me." We hurry out of the room, and I follow the ninja down the bright, long hallways. There are guards rushing around, trying to find the source of the explosion—ack, some of them are coming at us...!

"Who are you?"

"We're the ambassadors...!"

"Are you trying to hurt the Yafirmader?"

"No...!"

"We won't let you hurt him!"

"...Ami. They're not going to listen."

"...All right. Then I'm sorry, but I have no choice..." I concentrate... "Hammer Rain...!" Hammers fall down on the guards, stunning them. Suzu-chan and I quickly run past, towards the source of the explosion. We quickly find the stairs and run up... and up... and up... until we reach what I think is the top floor. We run down the hall until—ah, there...! That wall's been destroyed...! We quickly run towards it.

There's an explosion of lightning—Indignation...? Oh no, this doesn't look good...! I hurry to the door near the destroyed wall and open it—

What the...? This smoke's so thick—ugh, this makes me feel really dizzy... and... tired...

"Ami...!"

**Ami and Suzu received the title of Ambassador. It is a title given to one who seeks peace between great nations.**


	3. C02: Yafirmader

**...Remdol is a made-up name. I like the sound of it, though. (Sorry, Draco, but I just couldn't resist).**

**Anyway, please welcome Ritos Maliott! I have a betta fish named Ritos. ...The fish was named after the character, not the other way around XD' (The marsh, on the other hand... -cough-)**

**Also, I'm starting to have assignments due for my summer classes now, so I'll probably start slowing down some. I'll still be working on this story when I can, though!**

**Well, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Tales series. I do, however, own Ritos.**

**--Chapter 02: Yafirmader--**

Uhnn... What happened...? Ah...! "Suzu-chan...!" She's lying on the ground near me, unconscious. I shake her. "Suzu-chan, wake up...!"

She opens her eyes and slowly sits up. "What happened...?"

"I don't know... We were about to enter this room, and then the smoke—ah, what about Yamfirador Remdol-san...?"

"Yafirmader. And we should check." We stand and hurry into the room. Everything's a mess... This looks to be his study, and there are papers all over the place. His desk and chair are both completely destroyed...

"Yafirmader Remdol-san...? Are you around here...?"

"...It's no use. He's not here."

"How can you be sure...?"

"Look." Suzu-chan holds up a letter. It reads: "I suggest you find a new ruler. This one's power should be quite useful to us."

"What...? Who would do something like this...?"

"I'm not sure, but we should find him quickly. Also, we should leave here before we look suspicious."

"Ah... right. Think you can warp us out?"

"Very well." She concentrates. She suddenly stops, looking confused.

"What's wrong?"

"...Ami, use Pow Pow Hammer."

"Uh, okay..." I aim at the chair, since it's already destroyed anyway. "Pow Pow Hammer...!" Eh...? Nothing happened... and it didn't feel right... "What's going on...?"

"As I thought. It seems we can't use our artes anymore."

"But why...?"

"I'd guess that smoke. I feel weaker than I did as well."

"Now that you mention it, so do I..."

"It must be a curse... It'll take us time before we're back to full strength. For now, we'll have to run."

"Right!" We hurry out of the room and down the hall. We reach the stairs and start running down; oh no, there are two guards coming...

"Halt! Who are you?"

"We're the ambassadors—Yafamnder Remdol-san's been abducted...! We have to hurry, before they get too far away...!"

"The Yafirmader...? But that's not possible...! Unless... You set something up, didn't you...?"

"No...!"

"We're going to make you pay...!" Oh no, here they come...! I quickly pull out the wing pack with the hammer and open it; it appears right in front of me, and I grab it in my right hand.

They strike; oh no, I feel slower, too...! I'm hit...!

But I can't give up...! I have to save Remdol-san...!

"Pow Hammer...!" It hits, stunning the guard. I swing my hammer into him, knocking him into the wall.

"Let's go!" Suzu-chan just knocked hers to the side as well. We run past them, down the stairs.

Uh-oh... There are a bunch of guards coming from below. I turn around to go back up—ah, there are a lot of guards that way, too...! We're surrounded...!

Suzu-chan runs to the side—ah, a window...? She jumps on the edge and looks down; I hurry over to her, holding my hammer up to protect us from the guards.

"You'd be idiots to jump from this high... We know you humans can't fly," a guard says. Suzu-chan, I really hope you have a plan...

Ah...! She grabs me and—throws me out...? I'm falling backwards now—I can't see what's below...! She jumps out after me—

Eh...? I've stopped... Someone's holding me...? I look up—a man is holding me... He has light brown hair with a little bit of a reddish tint to it. He's wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt, with straps hanging over his shoulders. Behind him is a pair of shining blue and green wings... He stares at me with hazel eyes. "Well now, looks like beauties are falling out of the sky. Must be my lucky day."

"E-eh?"

"Are you all right, Miss?"

"I'm fine... but where's Suzu-chan...?"

"Ahh, your friend? Don't worry, she's fine. She used trees below to slow her fall." We descend to the ground, where he sets me down.

"Ah... Thank you...!"

"No problem. Are you all right, too?" He asks Suzu-chan.

"I'm fine. But who are you...?"

He bows. "Ritos Maliott, at your service." And then he straightens... "Is there anything I can do for you two fine young ladies?" Maliott... That sounds familiar... I wonder why...

"Yes..." Suzu-chan pulls out her dagger. "Why have you been following us?"

"Oh, that's simple. One, you're pretty, and two, I thought you'd be easy targets."

"...Eh?"

"Easy targets...?" Suzu-chan asks.

"Yep. I'm a thief. I'm out to make gald."

"If you're a thief, then why did you save me...?" I ask him.

"Because I couldn't let someone as pretty as you die."

There are shouts... Oh right, the guards...!

"...It might be best to finish this conversation elsewhere," the ninja speaks up.

"Right!"

"Follow me, then. I'll have you out of the city in no time!" Ritos-san says. I'm not sure if we should follow a thief, but... the guards are coming, and they can fly. Following him can't hurt, right...?

Ritos-san takes off running, and I follow. I glance back; Suzu-chan's also following. Good...

The angel leads us through a few back allies, taking turns quite often. It's actually kind of hard to keep up with him... Strange... I wonder if it's because of that curse...

We make it out of the buildings. "We'll stop when we get to the cliffs!" Ritos-san calls back as we keep running across the open plain. They're not far... We can make it...!

We're almost there... All right! We've made it—eh? Monsters?

There are two of them... I ready my hammer, and Suzu-chan holds up her dagger. One charges at me—I dodge to the side and quickly hit it with my hammer. Suzu-chan quickly stabs it, and it falls. That wasn't so bad!

"Ami...!"

Oh right, the other one...! I spin around—eh...? Ritos-san stabbed it with a spear... "So... Ami and Suzu, right? Those are pretty names." He pulls the spear out and it disappears. The monster falls to the ground, dead.

"Thank you, Ritos-san...! But... where did your spear go...?" I ask him.

"Hm? Oh, just in here." He holds up his hand to show us a ring. "It's made to hold things larger than it."

"You mean like a wing pack...?"

"A wing pack? What's that?"

I pull mine out and open it; my hammer disappears inside. "This."

"Ohhh, yeah. Kinda like that."

"Wow... Derris-Kharlan has some neat technology!"

"I suppose so. Ah... hey. You're bleeding."

"Eh? I am?" Oh right... "It must be from that guard earlier..."

"Stand still..." He concentrates... "First Aid!" My wound closes up.

"You can heal, Ritos-san...?"

"Not very well. I'm studying, though. So then, why were the guards chasing you girls, anyway?"

"Ah, well..."  
"The Yafirmader has been kidnapped. We went to see what happened, but we were too late... The guards blamed us," Suzu-chan explains.

"Wait, _the_ Yafirmader's been kidnapped? Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Are you sure? I heard he's really strong..."

"They used some mist... It zapped our power when we breathed it in," I explain.

"Ahh, so that's it... I suppose that does make a little more sense..." Ritos-san thinks about this a minute... "Think we'll get a reward if we save him?"

"Eh?"

"He's the Yafirmader of the largest country, after all... All right, I'll help you girls out, then!"

"We don't even know where they took him..."

"Was there any sort of ransom letter?"

"No. Just this." Suzu-chan hands him the letter, and he reads over it.

"Hm... His power is important to them... and this small handwriting..."

"The handwriting...?"

"Yeah. You can tell a person by their handwriting, you know. Small, close letters like this means that the person is good at concentrating on things. Like... a librarian."

"Or a king," I suggest.

"Or a researcher," Suzu-chan adds.

"Or a scientist. I think I know who's got him," Ritos-san says.

"Really...?"

"Yeah. There's a science facility not far from here... I've heard rumors of people going that way and never coming back."

"You mean... they're experimenting on people...?"

"I'm not sure... but if they are, it'd make sense why they want the Yafirmader. He's one of the most powerful people in Derris-Kharlan."

"Can you take us there, Ritos-san...?"

"I can, but..."

"But...?"

"I'm not about to go inside; that's suicide. I'll take you, but getting him out will be your job. If you need help, I'll throw a distraction at the guards."

"That's fine. Please, take us!"

"All right, then, follow me." Ritos-san turns and leads the way. Suzu-chan and I follow. He leads us further into the cliffs, away from the city. It's kind of dark down here, actually... dark and gloomy. It's a complete contrast from the bright city...

I look up. "Wow... The way the jagged cliffs fall over the path is a little creepy..."

"There are a lot of ghost stories about these cliffs."

"G-ghost stories...?"

"Yeah, like the one of the girl who was thrown off the top, and now haunts people into falling backwards so they can't fly... And then there's the one about the pretty ghost that sits in deathtraps, waiting for men to try to rescue her... And then there's—"

"No, stop...!"

"You okay, Ami?"

"Th-there are no ghosts...!"

"They're just stories..."

"W-well they're not real...! They're just fakes...! There are no ghosts...!"

"O...kay..."

"Ami's older brother used to scare her with ghost stories when she was little. However, he'd also come and _actually_ scare her later."

"S-Suzu-chan...!"

Ritos-san laughs. "Ahh, I see! Don't worry, Ami! I'll protect you from ghosts _and_ mean older brothers!"

"Ah... T-thank you... I think..." We keep walking.

"Watch your step here. It's a little rocky, and believe it or not, it's hollow below us," our guide speaks up.

"Right, we'll be careful."

We continue following him through the cliffs. This place is huge...

He suddenly stops and turns to us. "All right. If my calculations are correct, we should be standing on top of it."

"On top of it...?"

"That's right. This might be your best way in; no one will suspect it, you can use the rocks to bash your way in, and it shouldn't be too far of a drop for you."

"But will Yafurnda... Remdol-san be okay...?"

"Yafirmader. And don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine! He's strong, like I said!" Ritos-san backs up. "I'll let you girls take it from here. When you're leave, you're going to go that way." He points in the direction we've been going. "There's a slope that'll bring you back up to this level over there."

"How do you know so much...?"

"I used to play here when I was little. If you destroy that science facility, maybe I'll be able to come back here without fear again."

"We'll definitely give it some damage, dropping in like this..." I turn to my companion. "Are you ready, Suzu-chan?"

"I'm ready when you are."

"Right! Thank you, Ritos-san!"

"No problem. Good luck storming the base!"

I hold my hammer up and swing it down onto the ground as hard as possible. It starts crumbling... and the rocks fall out beneath us! We fall—ow... That hurt...

"Ami, hurry!" Ah, right, we're here on a mission...! I push myself up. Looks like we made it in, but there's an alarm going off. I follow Suzu-chan out of the room, and we hurry down the hallway.

"Where do you think Remdol-san is...?"

"I don't know... but there's one way to find out." She grabs my arm and pulls me off to the side at the corner. A guard comes running around—she grabs him and pulls him in, putting a dagger to his throat.

"Ah...!"

"Don't move. I suggest you tell us where the Yafirmader is if you wish to live."

"T-the Yafirmader...? W-why would he be here...?"

"Don't lie. We know you have him."

"But Suzu-chan—"

"Tell us where he is!"

"A-all right...! He's two floors down, third jail cell on the right. T-there's an elevator just down the hall..."

"Ami, grab the elevator!"

"I'm on it!" I run down the hall—there it is. I push the button and wait... Come on, please hurry up...

Ah, it's here...! I run inside and hold the door open. "Suzu-chan...!"

She quickly runs down the hall; there are guards chasing her...! "Close the door!"

"Okay!" I move my hand and press the button for the door to close. As its closing, Suzu-chan falls and rolls in; she makes it just in time. The door closes behind her and we start heading down. I hold my hammer ready as we wait for it to take us down...

After passing one floor, it stops on the next, and the door slides open. We hurry out and run down to the jail cell—we can't see inside... "Yafur..."

"Yafirmader."

"Yafirmader Remdol-san! Can you hear me? I need you to move back; we're going to break you out of here...!" I step back and hold up my hammer. I swing as hard as I can at the door and—

...It doesn't break...

"I'll see if I can pick the lock," Suzu-chan says. I nod and move out of the way, and she... opens the door... It was unlocked...? We peer inside. There's no one in here...!

"Stop right there...!" Oh no, now we're surrounded by guards...! "Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!"

Those weapons that some of them have... they remind me of the magitech gun that Chris-san used four thousand years ago...! I really hope they're not magitech, like his... Magitech hurts the world, after all...

"I said drop your weapons!"

I glance around at the guards. If only I could use Hammer Rain, or at least Pow Pow Hammer... I hope Suzu-chan has an idea...

From the looks of it, she doesn't yet... she's thinking, but... This doesn't look good...

"Aqua Edge...!"

"Ah...!" The guard threatening us, along with the one next to him. That voice...

"Demon Fist!" A third falls, and the rest turn to look—

A man with long, blond hair rushes in and punches the one closest to him. It's really...!

"Dhaos-san...!"

He glances at me with stoic blue eyes. "Ami, fight!"

"R-right...!" I grip my hammer and quickly rush in, hitting a guard. Suzu-chan and Dhaos-san take out some more guards as well. I hit mine again; he falls. I move to another, hitting him as quick as I can. All right, he's down, too...! I glance around; they're all gone...!

"...Are you two all right?"

"Dhaos-san...!" I run over and hug him!

"A-Ami...?"

"It's been so long! Thank you for coming to save us!"

"...Can you... let go of me now?"

I let go. "It's been six years, yet we were just fighting side-by-side again like it was only yesterday! I'm glad..."

"...You've grown."

"Yep! I'm seventeen now!"

"You're still just as reckless... You shouldn't have come to a place like this."

"But we came to save Yafirdamer Remdol-san!"

"Yafirmader," Dhaos-san and Suzu-chan both correct me.

"Ah... I guess I still can't remember it..."

"Dhaos-san, what are you doing here?" Suzu-chan asks.

"Never mind that right now. We should hurry up and leave—"

"What about Remdol-san?"

"...Did Enma tell you nothing...?"

"Huh?"

The elevator dings, and Ritos-san pokes his head out. "Yafirmader! I've managed to cut off all except this elevator and the doors leading out; if we hurry, we won't be caught!"

"...Eh...?"

"Understood. Ami, Suzu, let's go."

"Wait..." Ritos-san was referring to Dhaos-san... Which means... "D-Dhaos-san...? You're the Yafanrader?"

"Yafirmader," everyone corrects me this time. Oops...

"Yes, I am. Now will you come?"

Dhaos-san is... "...Right! Let's get out of here!" We run over to the elevator and hurry on. Ritos-san closes the door and we wait as it takes us up. We reach the top and run out. Ritos-san leads us back to the rocks.

"I've got Suzu!" He puts an arm around her and his wings appear—he starts flying up.

Someone grabs me—Dhaos-san... He also starts flying, and se soon reach the surface. We land, and he sets me down. "Thank you, Dhaos-san!"

"We... might want to get away from here. Fast," the other angel speaks up.

"Eh? Why?"

"I kinda set it to self-destruct..."

"EH?"

Uh-oh, I think I hear it starting...!

"What did you set the timer at...?" Dhaos-san demands.

"I thought I set it for ten minutes..."

"Can you fly us away...?"

"Wait; I can get us away. Just give me a moment..." Suzu-chan concentrates.

"We don't _have_ a moment...!"

"Shadow Storm...!" The wind swirls around us—the surrounding changes...! It's working...! We're on top of the cliffs now.

I hear the explosion—I look. Wow, it's so big... "Thank you, Suzu-chan... If it wasn't for you, we'd be goners for sure..."

Suzu-chan sways... and falls...! "Suzu-chan...!"

Ritos kneels down next to her and heals her...

"I'm fine..." She only fell to her knees, but still... "I suppose I wasn't quite ready to force that..."

"I see... So you two were hit by the curse as well."

"That's right... The only arte I can use is Pow Hammer..."

"I only have Aqua Edge and Demon Fist..."

"It'll wear off soon, right...?"

"We shouldn't rely on that. We'll have to train if we want our powers back soon." Dhaos-san glances at us. "But before that... I believe we have a meeting to attend."

"I suppose we do, don't we? Oh! Did you know? Cless-san's the king of Aselia now! He married Mint-san!"

"Interesting... In that case, it might benefit us to have a treaty with Aselia."

"Heh heh, 'it might benefit us'? Come on, you know you trust Cless-san!"

"...His heart's in the right place. However, he does have a tendency to rush in too quickly quite often."

Dhaos-san... It really is good to see him again. And I'm glad that we're all still his friends!

"...Let's head back to the city. We can talk on the way there. ...Maliott, what will you do?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to come as well. I think these two lovely ladies could use my assistance."

"Very well."

"Thank you, Ritos-san!"

The four of us head back to the palace. I tell Dhaos-san about how everyone's doing; "The old king got sick and died that soon after we came home from our journey, so Cless-san and Mint-san are working hard to lead Aselia. Though Cless-san seems a little out of place as a king... He wears his headband instead of a crown, and he's always dressed so informally. Usually in armor, because he practices with his sword when he can."

"Somehow I didn't think he would make a good king..."

"Heh heh, and then Mint-san goes out to the city a lot to heal those in need. Everyone loves her! Onii-chan's married to Arche-san now, and they're going to have a kid in a few months!"

"...That's dangerous..."

"I'm sure they'll be good parents!"

"I doubt that..."

Heh, Dhaos-san is still the same! "Oh, and Dad's still studying. He and Mom teach people about magic! And they have a kid now—Anthon T. Lester. He's so cute! Though, he can be quite troublesome sometimes... Mom has her hands full."

"Troublesome... Hm, that sounds like a Lester..."

"That's mean, Dhaos-san!" I say in a light-hearted manner. That's just how he is.

"And now you're going to ramble about how you and Suzu are doing?"

"Yep! Mom and Dad teach us, so we can help Cless-san out without having to worry about missing any classes. And Suzu-chan's become an even better ninja!"

"Hm... Too bad she's lost her artes and abilities."

"Yeah..."

"I'll get them back. And besides, I still have the knowledge of how to use them, so I still have an advantage," Suzu-chan speaks up.

"Ah, good point!" I glance at Ritos-san. Eh...? "Ritos-san, is something wrong...?"

"Oh, nothing... I'll just stay over here in my corner, having _no_ idea what's going on and who these people are..."

"Ah, sorry...!"

"I'm not even a good fighter... I'm so out of the loop..."

"We've been through a lot... Dhaos-san, Suzu-chan, and I traveled all around Aselia six years ago!"

"It's been a little over one year in Derris-Kharlan time."

"Really...?"

"Our planet is further from the sun than yours. A year here takes longer."

"Wow..."

"Ahh, so you guys were the Yafirmader's companions! Interesting..."

"Yep!"

"Ritos Maliott is the one who healed the Giant Kharlan Tree," Dhaos-san explains.

"Eh? Really?"

"Yeah. Took _all_ of my energy, though... I was completely wiped out for months."

"You're fine now though, right?"

"Yep, thanks for your concern~!"

We reach the city. Dhaos-san leads us back to the palace, where everyone's glad to see him safe. He really is the Ya... Remdol-san... Wait, but... "Dhaos-san, why are you called Remdol-san?"

"That's my family name."

"Oh, of course...!" That didn't even occur to me...

He takes us to the sitting room we were in before and sits down on the couch. "So, what does Cless want?"

"We want to make an alliance with the countries of Derris-Kharlan. Recently, the demons in Aselia have been getting more and more violent... It seems they have a leader called Hades now..."

"We fear he may be building up an army. If he was to do so and attack humans, we wouldn't stand much of a chance as we are now," Suzu-chan finishes for me.

"Hm... And what are you offering us?"

"Enma-san's scientists found a space-time anomaly on Derris-Kharlan. He asked us to check it out," I explain.

"A space-time anomaly... That could be dangerous."

"I know, but we'll be fine. Besides, it's really the least we could do... I feel bad not helping out more. Oh right, is there anything you want us to do?"

"Hm..." Dhaos-san thinks about this for a moment. "Very well. Then, I will go with you."

"Eh...?"

"I want to see it for myself. Depending on what I see, that might be all I require for this alliance," Dhaos-san says. "Where is this anomaly?"

"Do you have a map?" Suzu-chan asks. The man nods and stands. He walks over to a desk and pulls a map out of it. He spreads it out across the table so we can all see. Let's see, where was it... "Here." Suzu-chan finds it first and points at it. "Betta Marsh."

"That's not very far. Are you ready to go, then?"

"Yes!" I say. "Ritos-san, are you coming with us?"

"Might as well. This space-time anomaly thing sounds _way_ more interesting than wandering around town all day."

I stand. "Heh heh... Looks like we have a party, then!" A party... like six years ago... But, this adventure won't last as long...

The others stand as well. "Let's go." Dhaos-san leads the way out, and we follow. Even if it won't be as long...

It's still going to be a fun adventure!

**Ami gained the title of Savior or Saved? It is a title given to one who was saved by the person she came to rescue.**

**Dhaos gained the title of Yafirmader. It is a title given to the leader of the largest country in Derris-Kharlan.**

**Ritos gained the title of Kharlan Tree Healer. It is a title given to the one who healed the Giant Kharlan Tree.**

**Ami lost all skills except Pow Hammer.**

**Suzu lost all skills except Shadow Storm.**

**Dhaos lost all skills except Demon Fist and Aqua Edge.**


	4. C03: SpaceTime Anomaly

**And now please welcome Nanashi! (Who is so not named after an awesome character from MAR -cough-). He's one of the weirdest characters I've made... This story will get another really strange character later. I think they're my two weirdest characters... following that, my two illusion characters. ...I like crazy characters.**

**Anyway~ This chapter turned out a lot longer than I expected. So, I hope you enjoy it! The marsh was actually kinda fun.**

**(And no idea when I'll finish the next chapter... I'm getting my Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood DVD later, so that'll probably keep me hooked all day. I'm so not obsessed -cough-)**

**Disclaimer: I own Nanashi :D' But not the Tales games or any characters from them.**

**-Chapter 03: Space-Time Anomaly-**

Dhaos-san leads us outside and through the city. It really is a large city... and there are vendors everywhere. It really is lively here... I'm glad it's safe. Safe from the gods... and from Yggdrasil-san...

That's right... I forgot to ask Onii-chan how Yggdrasil-san's doing... Well, I guess I can ask when I get back. After trying to kill us six years ago, Yggdrasil-san became friends with Onii-chan... Now his soul stays inside Onii-chan most of the time, so he can see the world. He seems to have accepted people, which is definitely good... I hope I get to talk to Yggdrasil-san directly someday; I want to be his friend, too!

Ah... we arrive at the edge of a marsh. "Is this the place?"

"Yes. This is Betta Marsh," Dhaos-san answers.

"I've heard of this place, but... it looks even more dark and creepy than the rumors make it sound," Ritos-san says.

"Rumors...?"

"Yeah. People say things about hearing voices when they pass through here. This is the shortest route to get to the north, so travelers sometimes take it... Others avoid it 'cause they're scared of the ghost."

"Ah..."

"You okay, Ami?"

"I'm... I'm fine! Let's go!" I enter the marsh. It's okay... Maybe it's something else... The others follow me. It's really dark and foggy, though... The trees have huge leaves on them which block out the sun. The water around us is muddy, but there's a large enough path that we can stay out of it. Still... the ground feels kinda slippery in some—whoa—

Ritos-san grabs my arm. "Be careful around here."

"I will... thanks..." Okay, I'm steady now... He lets go, and I keep walking. The path keeps getting narrower and narrower as we walk...

"Hm... It would be a problem for us if this anomaly is underwater somewhere..." Dhaos-san points out as he stares down at the muddy water.

"Ah... I hope it's not..."

"Then where is it? I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary," the other angel points out.

"Maybe you should fly around and take a look for us," suggests Dhaos-san.

"W-why do I gotta do it?"

"Scared?"

"Of course not!" Ritos-san's wings appear on his back.

"Ah, Ritos-san..."

"It's fine. I won't go far." He winks and gives me a thumbs-up before flying into the mist... I hope he'll be okay...

"Let's keep going."

"But Ritos-san..."

"He'll find us." Dhaos-san starts walking, and Suzu-chan and I follow.

"...someone..."

Huh...? That voice... That wasn't Dhaos-san or Suzu-chan... "What that Ritos-san?"

"I don't know... Ritos!" ...He's not showing up...

"Ritos-san?" I call out, but there's still nothing. I hope he's oka—

Ritos-san suddenly burst out of the mist, quickly flying towards us—"We have a problem!"

A proble—ah...! A large insect monster is following him...! It looks like a mantis... We quickly pull our weapons out and get ready to fight. I could really use Pow Pow Hammer about now... Well, I guess I'll just have to make do...! "Pow Hammer!" That stalls it enough for Ritos-san to get away—he pulls out his spear and turns to it.

Dhaos-san flies towards it, while Suzu-chan jumps on the trees to get over. This... isn't quite fair...

Wait, there's a slope over there... If I get on that, then I should be able to hit it! I run around on the ground, towards that slope—whoa...! I'm falling—ow! The ground just collapsed...

"...there...?"

Eh...? That... wasn't any of my friends... It seemed to be coming from... Ah, I'm in an underground tunnel...! Then is this where that voice is coming from...? I glance up; there's no way I'll be able to get back up without help... Unless... Maybe there's an exit at the end. I start walking.

...I'm a little nervous, actually... What if that voice I heard is a ghost...? N-no, it's not... I was just hearing things...

"Hello?" Ack...! D-definitely not my imagination...! It's a male voice... and it's echoing in this tunnel. ...Do ghost voices echo?

"H-hi... Please don't eat me..." I speak up.

"Ah, so there is someone! Don't worry, I won't eat you! I don't think I could if I tried. Not that I want to—that'd be weird and disgusting." Eh...? He actually sounds pretty friendly now... But where...

I reach the end of the rather short tunnel. There's a pedestal here, and on top of it is... a pair of glasses...? But where's the owner of that voice? I look around, until I'm facing the entrance again. There's no other path... and I didn't see another one on my way in here... "Hello? Mister? You're not a ghost, are you...?"

"Of course I'm not a ghost! I'm right here!"

"Where? I don't see you..."

"Turn around!" I glance back—there's just the pair of glasses...

"Hello!"

...Eh? I reach down and pick up the glasses...

"Oh finally. You don't know how lonely it's been sitting here for... you know, I don't even know how long I've been here. But either way, you're going to take me out of here, right?"

"...Ehhhhh?" Ack, I almost dropped the glasses!

"Hey hey! Don't drop me! I don't wanna break!"

"S-sorry... I just... You're a pair of glasses...?"

"Yep! It's nice to meetcha!"

"Ah... It's nice to meet you, too..." This is so weird... "I'm Ami. Ami Barklight."

"I'm... Well, I don't really have a name. Either that or I don't know my name; not sure which."

Eh...? "What are you doing here?"

"Hm... I'm not sure of that, either. I was in a different cave, but one morning, I woke up here instead. Wherever 'here' is..."

"Then... you warped...?"

"Probably," the pair of glasses says. "I have some pretty neat things I can do, actually!"

"Then that must mean... You're the space-time anomaly in this area..."

"Oh, yeah, possibly. Sorry about that!"

This is really insane... I'm not dreaming, am I...?

"Ami? You okay?"

"Ah... Y-yeah, I'm fine. Well, I have some friends that are fighting outside, but I can't get up to them..." I tell him as I glance back at the entrance.

"Oh, I can help you there! Put me on!"

"...Eh?"

"I'm a pair of glasses, remember? Put me on!"

Okay... I put him on over my eyes. His lenses are surprisingly big—ah... Everything's really blurry... I can barely see. But... there's a strange crack in the air and some glowing steams... "What is that...?"

"The 'streams' are the flow of mana," the glasses explain, "and the 'crack' is a warp point. If we're just going outside, then that shouldn't be hard to do at all... I think. Just touch the crack, and we should warp!"

"Are you sure it's okay...?"

"Well, I've never tried this, but... it'll be fine! Just leave it to me!"

That's not very reassuring... but I guess I don't really have a choice. I reach out and touch the crack—

Whoa—everything just got lighter... I take the glasses off; I'm outside...! Looks like the mantis is almost dead, but... I can still help! "Pow—"

"Wait, Ami! Put me back on!"

"Eh? But then I can't see..."

"That thing's big enough that it should be fine for you. What you _need_ to see is the flow of mana—if you hit that with your move, it'll burst with that energy and be a ton stronger! ...If my calculations are correct, anyway."

"Well, it won't hurt to try, right?" I put him back on... There's a stream starting to move across the mantis now... Just another second... There! "Pow Hammer!" It hits the stream—the creature falls into the water, dead. It worked...!

"See there? How was that?"

"It really worked...! That's amazing...!"

"Ami!" I see things moving... I take the glasses off; the others are hurrying over towards me.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" I tell them. "I think I found the anomaly." I hold up the pair of glasses to show them.

"Hello!" my new friend greets.

"...Are those glasses... talking...?" Ritos-san asks.

"Yep! And looking through him is amazing—he can warp and see the flow of mana!"

"What...?"

"Heh, pretty cool, right?" the glasses say. "Thank you for getting me out of there! Though it's still pretty dark... I thought it'd be a lot brighter outside."

"Well, we're in the middle of a marsh now... But once we get out of here, it's pretty bright!" I turn to the others. "Mind if we take him with us? I can't just leave him here..."

"That's fine. I'm sure Enma will want to see him anyway," Dhaos-san points out.

"Ah, right."

"We should go see him next. The quickest way from here is to keep going through the marsh."

"Okay. But..." I glance down at the glasses. "He doesn't have a name... We should give him one; we can't just call him Mr. Glasses or something..."

"Right... I guess we need to do introductions all around as well. I'm Ritos, this cutie's Suzu, and he's the—wait, if we're traveling together, can I call you by your first name?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks. Then he's Dhaos...sama." Heh, Ritos-san seems a little confused on what to call him now.

"It's nice to meetcha! What're you going to call me?"

"Hm... Well..."

"...What about Nanashi?" Suzu-chan suggests. "It means 'no name'."

No name... Nanashi... "Heh, I guess that fits. What do you think?"

"Nanashi... Nanashi... Yeah, I like the sound of it!" the glasses say. "All right! Then from now on, I'm Nanashi!"

"Then it's nice to meet you, Nanashi-san!"

"Thanks! It feels so good to have a name, not to mention people to talk to... Heh heh, I'm really excited!"

I giggle. Let's see... Oh, Nanashi-san's handle folds twice! I fold him up and put one of his handles in my pocket. It fits perfectly! "How's that?"

"It's good! Then, let's go!"

"Right!" Heh, a pair of talking glasses... Onii-chan's never going to believe this! We continue walking through the marsh.

Ah, I see light ahead...! That must be the exit! I start running forward; it'll be so nice to get out of this marsh!

Ahh, that sunlight really feels refreshing...

"Wow... so this is how it feels to be outside..." Nanashi-san says. He's really never been outside of a cave...

"Nanashi-san..."

The others walk up behind me. "Have you always been inside that marsh?" Ritos-san asks the glasses.

"I dunno. I was in a different cave before... and before that, I have no idea."

"So are you a machine or what?"

"No clue. But I could be... I have a 'database', after all," answers Nanashi-san.

Eh? "A 'database'?" I ask.

"Yep! I've learned a lot through my database. Part of it told me how to use my powers, though... I can't really use them on my own. And then I also know a little about you guys; Ami, Suzu, and Dhaos traveled on an adventure before, right? Across time and space, using the Eternal Sword... Come to think of it, I'm really lucky to be saved by strong heroes like you!"

"Hm... Can I see him for a sec?" Ritos-san asks.

"Ah, sure!" I hand Nanashi-san over, and the angel begins studying him. "No, definitely not a machine... What _are_ you then...?"

"I'm Nanashi."

"I know that..." Ritos-san puts the glasses on—and promptly trips. "Whoa...!" His wings appear and he straightens up. "How the hell are you supposed to _see_?"

"Heh, it's not easy..." I answer. "But the streams of mana are really pretty, aren't they?"

"Is that what those glowy things are?"

"Yep!"

"Interesting..." Ritos-san takes off the glasses and hands... him back to me. This really is strange... I hang him over my pocket again.

"Heh heh, isn't it?" Nanashi-san says proudly.

"We'll be arriving at a city soon," Dhaos-san suddenly speaks up. "It's getting late, so we should rest while we have the chance. Nanashi, it'd be best for you to be quiet once we reach the city; we don't want to draw any unnecessary attention."

"Ah, right, okay! I can do that!" Speaking of, I see the city ahead... It's not as large as the capital, but it's still pretty. Oh wow, it has some lovely fountains! It has a really large one where the water spirals down, and some others that shoot up water every now and then...

"This is Vatenfos," Ritos-san says. "There's a river just north of here—it separates Welgaia and Ridaria."

"Ridaria is King Enma's country, right?" I ask.

"Yeah. It's the second largest country in Derris-Kharlan—Welgaia being the largest. They're actually the only two countries on this continent anymore, so it's a good thing Dhaos-sama and Enma-sama get along so well. 'Least, from what I hear."

"Wow... So where's the Giant Kharlan Tree?"

"It's in Welgaia," answers Dhaos-san. "It's southeast of the capital. Enma visits it every now and then, so I usually give him a place to stay."

"Aw, I guess I missed my chance of seeing it, then."

"You may get another chance. I'm sure there'll be more discussions."

"Oh, good point! Then next time I come, I'll be sure to pay it a visit!" I wonder of the tree here is like Yggdrasil-san...

"Giant Kharlan Tree?..." I hear Nanashi-san mutter.

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. Ah, looks like that's the inn." Eh? Oh, he's right! There's an inn just ahead... and luckily the entrance is on ground level. We walk in, and Dhaos-san goes to get us a room. Heh, the innkeeper looks surprised to see him here.

"We need two rooms."

"Ah... Y-yes, right away!" He pulls out four keys and hands them over. "They're both at the end of the hall, right across from each other."

"How much?"

"You don't have to pay, Yafirmader. Please just enjoy your stay."

"Eh? But we can't just stay here for free..." I speak up as I walk over. "You need to make money...

"It's fine. This city gets plenty of tourists anyway."

Ah... Well, I guess that makes sense, with how lovely this city is...

"Very well. Thank you." Dhaos-san takes the keys and passes them out; he then turns to us. "Feel free to do what you want tonight. We'll meet up first thing in the morning."

"Sounds good," the other man says. "Ami, Suzu, either of you want to go get some dinner? My treat!"

"Okay! Are you coming too, Dhaos-san?"

"I have some work to do." Dhaos-san turns and heads to one of the inn rooms. Isn't he hungry...?

"Come on," Ritos-san says. "We can always bring him some food."

"Ah... Right." The three of us walk out of the inn and look for a restaurant. Some of them have entrances up high, so we don't even bother with those...

"Oh, how about that one? I've heard they have some good food," the angel suggests; we follow him into it. It's kinda dark in here... but it smells really good! It's a seat-yourself thing, so we walk over to a table and sit down. There are already some menus here...

"...Ah right! I get to try Derris-Kharlan food!" I didn't think about that at all! I take my menu and open it up. ...Ah...

"Yep! Oh, and they have rappig steak! It's one of my favorites!"

I glance over at Suzu-chan; looks like she has the same problem as me... It's written in Angelic...

"Ritos-san," my friend speaks up.

"Yeah?"

"We can't read this..." I finish for her.

"Oh right, you guys are Aselian... You guys didn't learn any Angelic before you came here?"

"No... We didn't study Derris-Kharlan much at all before Cless-san became king... and then it's just been mainly talks with King Enma."

"Ritos-san, most people here speak Angelic, correct?" Suzu-chan says. "But we've already encountered quite a few who speak Aselian, including you..."

"Yeah. It's another ancient language to us... It's said that our ancestors were once Aselian or something, so some people have studied it."

"So why do you know it?"

"My father was studying Aselia. He needed someone to practice with, so... I picked it up."

"Your father...?"

"Yeah. He went to Aselia a little over a year ago, and we haven't heard from him since."

Come to think of it, didn't we meet an angel on our journey...? What...

"What was your father's name?" Suzu-chan asks.

"Hession Maliott."

That was...! Ah... Then Ritos-san...

"Hm? Something wrong?"

"Ritos-san... I'm sorry..."

"Eh? What is it, Ami? Did you meet him...?"

"He..." He died... We killed him... But, I'm worried about Ritos-san...

"...He's dead, isn't he...?"

Ah... "Y-yes..."

Ritos-san stares at the table.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," he suddenly speaks up. He looks up with a forced smile. "I thought so... That guy would've sent us a message by now if he was okay..." Ritos-san leans back in his chair, his arms behind his head. "Well..."

A waitress comes over and says something in Angelic... Ritos-san talks to her; he turns to us. "How old are you two?"

"Ah... Seventeen."

"Both of you?"

"Yes."

"Damn... Looks like I'll have to drink alone, then. Well, what do you want?"

"Water's fine..."

"Agreed," Suzu-chan speaks up.

"And what about to eat? Rappig steaks sound good?"

"That's fine."

Ritos-san turns back to the waitress and orders our meal. She walks away...

"Ritos-san...?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I was prepared for this." He glances at me with a smile—a real one this time. "Thanks, Ami."

I shake my head. "You don't have to thank me... I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine, really." The waitress returns with our drinks, which she sets down before walking off again. Ritos-san gladly starts drinking his... whatever it is...

"What is that exactly?" Nanashi-san suddenly speaks up.

"Whoa, Nanashi!" Ritos-san jumps back, taken completely off-guard. Heh... "I totally forgot you were there!"

Heh heh... I can't help but laugh; his face was priceless...!

"Hey, this isn't funny...! He almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry! Dhaos told me to be quiet..."

"Y-yeah well... Don't scare me like that again! And Ami, stop laughing!"

"S-sorry, i-it was just... your face..." Okay, I'm calming down now. Heh heh... "Sorry, you okay?"

"I'm fine... Geez..." Ritos-san sighs. "Anyway, this is... what do you Aselians call it..."

"Is it wine?" Suzu-chan suggests.

"Yeah, that's it! Thanks, Suzu." Ah, and here's our food! The waitress sets it down, and after exchanging a few words with Ritos-san, walks off again. We start eating.

"Wow... So wine and steak, huh?" Nanashi-san says. "Makes me wish I could eat... But then again, hunger is the devil..."

"Yeah, seriously," the other man agrees. "Think about how much money we'd save if we didn't have to eat; we'd all be rich!"

"Heh, I guess that's true... but we'd also miss out on a lot of delicious foods," I point out.

"Yeah... So it'd be cool to have a good balance; don't _have_ to eat, but still can."

"Heh, I suppose that would be nice." We continue eating; "This is really good!" Heh... Onii-chan would love it. But he loves all meats now... ever since he was bitten...

"I'd say!"

"It is good..."

We continue eating in silence; we finish pretty quickly, actually. Once we're done, Ritos-san says, "Well, I'll take care of the bill... Why don't you girls head back?"

"We can't leave you here..."

"It's fine. I need a moment alone..."

Ah... right...

The waitress comes over with the bill and a box... Ritos-san takes it and hands it to me. "Here; this is some steak for Dhaos-sama. Mind delivering it?"

"Ah... okay! Then, we'll see you later, Ritos-san!" Suzu-chan and I stand, and we walk out of the restaurant. Now where was that inn again... Suzu-chan remembers, so I follow her back to it. We enter and head to Dhaos-san's room... I knock on the door.

"Come in." I open the door and walk in; Dhaos is sitting at a desk, writing some letters.

"Hey. We brought you some food." I walk over and hand it to him.

"Thank you."

"What're you working on?"

"I left without saying anything, so I need to let the people at the capital know... I'm also sending a letter to Enma to let him know that we're on our way."

"Is there anything we can help with?" Suzu-chan offers.

"No; I'm almost done." He stops for a moment to eat. "Where is Ritos?"

"He stayed behind to pay the bill..." I pause for a moment. I need to tell Dhaos-san about him... "Dhaos-san... Remember that angel we met in the past?"

"...Yes, I know. Hession Maliott. I suppose you talked to Ritos about him?"  
"Well..."

"Yes. Hession was his father," Suzu-chan explains.

"I see... I thought it was something like that."

"I'm worried about Ritos-san..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine," Nanashi-san speaks up. "Ritos is strong."

"He... doesn't know our part in it..."

"...I see... If he continues traveling with us, it might be best to tell him soon," Dhaos-san points out.

"I know... but how...?"

"Leave that to me."

"Ah..." I know this is best, but... I'm still worried... Ritos-san seemed to be close to his father...

"You two should get some sleep. We still have quite a ways to go."

"Okay." I take Nanashi-san out of my pocket. "Um... Do you sleep, Nanashi-san?"

"I can't really sleep... but don't worry, I know how to pass the time quite well!"

Nanashi-san...

"...Ami, get some rest," Dhaos-san says. "You can leave Nanashi in here for the night."

"Okay..." I set Nanashi-san down on the desk. Maybe I'm worrying too much... "Then, goodnight, Dhaos-san."

"Goodnight."

Suzu-chan and I head out into the hall; Suzu-chan starts walking off. "Where are you going?"

"I want to scout around the city before I sleep. I won't be long."

"Ah, okay." Suzu-chan heads off, and I walk into the inn room.

Come to think of it, I am pretty tired... It's been a long day. And with my powers zapped... I feel pretty exhausted. I lie down on the bed and close my eyes...

Ritos-san... Nanashi-san's right; he's strong, so he'll be okay. And... we'll help him as much as we can. And then Nanashi-san... I wonder what's going to happen to him when we get to King Enma. He's strange all right, but he's a good person... and having literally lived in a cave for so long... There's a lot he needs to see. I guess I can't help but worry about them...

Still... I'm really happy. Overall, it's been a good day. I met Ritos-san and Nanashi-san, and... I met Dhaos-san again, after six years... I'm really glad I came here.

**Nanashi received the title of Space-Time Anomaly. It is a title given to one who accidentally created a strange anomaly with his extraordinary powers.**

**Ritos gained the title of Son of Hession. It is a title given to the son of Hession Maliott.**


	5. C04: Supreme Concentration

**Geez there was a lot of talking in this chapter... Well, I hope you enjoy it! Sorry for the wait, and sorry for it being kinda short. XD' That was just a perfect place to end it...**

**Also, please welcome Mark and Marty! ...Sort of, anyway. You'll see them again in the future. Oh! And also welcome Enma~**

**And for those who don't know, there are anime pictures up on the NDX site. There's a Cless/Mint picture~ (I so did not cheer when I saw that)**

**Erm, anyway. Enjoy this chapter!**

**(Also I just got Tales of the Tempest~ ...I haven't started yet 'cause I've been in a writing mood all day.)**

**-Chapter 04: Supreme Concentration-**

"Ami, wake up." Uhnn... I open my eyes to see Suzu-chan standing over me. "It's time for breakfast."

Oh right, we're in Derris-Kharlan... I sit up; I got used to waking up early on our journey six years ago. Somehow, that journey did the opposite for Onii-chan... I follow Suzu-chan over to the guys' room, where Ritos-san is putting together sandwiches.

"Good morning, ladies!" he greets happily.

"Morning!"

"Good morning."

"Good morning, everyone!" I say to the three guys as we enter.

"Here, try these." Ritos-san hands us each a sandwich.

"Thank you!" I take a bite. Wow...! "This is really good, Ritos-san!"

"Thanks. Too bad you guys won't be here long; there's a lot of good food on Derris-Kharlan."

"You need to come try Aselian food sometime," I tell him.

"That's actually a good idea... I'm kinda curious about Aselia." Ritos-san finishes his sandwich before adding, "Well, we'll just have to see what happens when we get to Enma-sama. Ready to go?"

I finish my sandwich as well. "Yep!" I pick up Nanashi-san and put him back in my pocket. Dhaos-san and Suzu-chan are ready, too, so we head out of the inn, turning our keys in on the way.

"After we cross the border, we may be able to catch a carriage to the capital," Dhaos-san explains as we head out of this city. We walk north, towards the border. Heh, looks like I'll be back in Aselia soon!

"Hey Nanashi," Ritos-san speaks up as we walk. "Is there anything interesting in your database?"

"Of course; there are lots of interesting things! But... it can be kinda hard to access all parts of it sometimes."

"Eh? Isn't it your database, though?"

"Well... I guess you could say I have a bunch of little databases that make up one big one, but they're password protected. Or something like that, anyway."

"And you don't know the password?"

"Well, it's not exactly a password... Maybe it's more of... finding the needle in the haystack? Though some of them can be harder to dig through."

"I see... So there must be a ton of information..."

"Yep, exactly!"

"Wow... It's really neat what you can do, Nanashi-san!" I tell him.

"Hm... If you see anything interesting in that database, let whoever you're with know," Dhaos-san instructs.

"Will do!" Nanashi-san pauses a second before continuing, more serious. "Actually... There may be something..."

"'Something'?" I ask.

"I'm not sure... I'll see if I can find out any more about that 'something'. If it's important, then I'll let you know!"

"Maybe it'll help to talk about it... What do you think it is?"

"Hm... Well, that's another thing about my database. It tells me about many things, heroic adventures and technology and stuff... but it's kinda hard to tell what order they go in, since it's all jumbled around sometimes. So... this probably happened thousands of years ago for all I know. All I really know is that someone... no, two people died..."

"Two people...?"

"Many have died over the years. We can't tell much from just that," Dhaos-san points out.

"Yeah, I know, sorry. I'll check into it some, just in case."

"Yes, that's a good idea."

"Thank you, Nanashi-san!"

"No problem!" he says in his normal cheery voice.

We reach the river; oh good, there's a bridge... I didn't think about it before, but the angels could probably just fly across. Still, our two angelic companions walk across the bridge with us.

"Welcome to Ridaria," Ritos-san says as soon as we're across the bridge. "There's a small town not far from here called Borgen; that's where we can catch a carriage if we're lucky." We continue walking. So this is King Enma's country... I haven't actually talked to him myself; Cless-san has been exchanging messages with him using a machine his scientists made. I'm not really sure on the specifics... but King Enma sounds like a nice person, and he's quite willing to work with us.

"So what's Aselia like exactly?" Ritos-san asks.

Aselia...? Hm... How do you describe your own home... "Well, it's warmer there... and it's a lovely place. The people are nice, though the elves don't really like us... Arche-san visits them when she can to try and change that, though."

"Arche... You said that she's married to your brother?"

"Yep! They really love each other... though it's hard to tell at first with how they interact."

"What about you? Is there anyone you love?"

Someone that I love...? "No... Not anymore." I used to have a crush on Cless-san, six years ago... but I've gotten over that now. He and Mint-san are really adorable together...

"Oh come on! You're _supposed_ to say, 'Why of course, Ritos-san! I'm head over heels for you!'" he says jokingly, with a wide grin.

I laugh. "I can't say something that's not true~!"

"Ouch, Ami... That's a stab right through the heart!"

"Heh heh... You asked for it!" Heh, Ritos-san is a lot of fun~!

"We're there," Dhaos-san suddenly speaks up. Ah, he's right... We've arrived at the village. It really is small, but it looks like a nice place. And there's a carriage—we made it in time! We walk over to the carriage, where Dhaos-san talks to the person in angelic. He then pays, and we get in.

Whoa... We're going surprisingly fast. The things pulling the carriage are a type of creature sorta like horses, but... Maybe it's the Derris-Kharlan version?

Come to think of it, this is my first time riding in a carriage... We usually ride on the Rheairds, but the scientists are looking at most of them to try and make more. Onii-chan kept one so he can help Cless-san and go with Arche-san to visit the elves. And I told Cless-san that we'd be fine without one... though maybe that wasn't the brightest idea. We'd already be at King Enma's castle if we had one...

Oh well. This way, I get to try something new! This'll be fun! The carriage starts moving, and we're off!

"Ami," Dhaos-san speaks up. "Is Cless doing anything about magitech?"

"Of course! It's been banned, and he's working hard to get it all replaced with electric technology. Mom and Dad gave the researchers a push in the right direction, and they still help with it some."

"And how's Yggdrasil?"

"Heh, good last I checked! He still stays with Onii-chan most of the time. It was funny at first 'cause Onii-chan didn't know how to talk to Yggdrasil-san in his head, but he's gotten the hang of it now."

"Yggdrasil?" Ritos-san asks.

"Yep! Our world tree."

"Wait, but you said he stays with your brother..."

"Yeah. Six years ago, Yggdrasil-san was angry at humans, so he was going to destroy us... but Onii-chan talked him out of it. Since then, Yggdrasil-san's spirit has been inside Onii-chan most of the time so he can learn about the world and about humans."

"Wow. That's... a little weird. I didn't know tree spirits could do that..."

"It's most likely because of his amount of mana," Suzu-chan suggests.

"Huh... I guess that would make some sense. Then do you think the Giant Kharlan Tree could do the same thing?"

"Possibly."

"And you say 'him'... Wouldn't a tree be genderless?"

"Yeah, but Onii-chan said that his voice is male. I couldn't actually hear him..." I admit. "Dhaos-san, could you hear him at all?"

"No."

"Neither could the rest of us. It seems Chester-san was the only one," Suzu-chan says.

"Huh... weird. I wonder how our tree sounds..."

"Heh heh... I bet the Giant Kharlan Tree loves you, Ritos-san!" He's the one who healed it, after all...

"Heh, probably! What can I say, I'm popular~!"

"...Wait what?" Nanashi-san suddenly speaks up.

"Hm? What is it, Nanashi-san?"

"I suddenly tuned back in to what you guys were saying... Do you realize how weird you guys sound?"

Ritos-san and I laugh. "So says the talking glasses!"

"...Point taken." Nanashi-san chuckles. "We really are a weird group, huh?"

"Heh, yep!"

"Heh heh... Well, I haven't found anything yet; I'm going to keep looking."

"Okay, thank you!"

"Hm..."

"What is it, Dhaos-san?"

"That database... It sounds like he can't pay attention to us and that at the same time."

"Ah... You're right. It must be really big..." I say. Nanashi-san's not speaking... He's really not paying attention to us at all now. "I wonder where he keeps his database..."

"Maybe it's somewhere in the lens?" Ritos-san suggests. "Maybe I could ask him to look up how he was made or whatever..."

"That's a good idea," the other angel agrees.

I glance out of the carriage. Wow... Derris-Kharlan really is lovely. It's full of grass, and there are lots of flower blooming.

"Heh, Derris-Kharlan's a nice place, huh?" Ritos-san speaks up. "It's said that the center of the planet is pure mana... The Giant Kharlan Tree sorta acts like a medium between it and the surface. There have been periods of magitech, where things haven't been quite so nice... but with the largest two countries banning magitech, well... Everyone wants to be on their good side, especially with the tension out east."

"Tension...?"

"Two of the countries have been fighting over some land," explains Dhaos-san. "Some miners found silver there, and since silver is one of the best conductors for mana, both countries want claim over it."

"All over silver...?" Heh, I wonder what Onii-chan would say to that... He'd probably ask... "Why don't they just use something else?"

"Silver's a rare resource to find nowadays," the first angel explains. "If you use it for jewelry with an enchanted jewel, then you don't lose any of the power in the enchantment. On top of that, researchers believe that only silver can be used in summoning rings..."

"Ah, that must be why all of Dad's pact rings are silver... So why can't they just split it in half or something?"

"They tried talking over it at one point, but the leaders couldn't come to an agreement," Dhaos-san continues. "According to Enma's intelligence, both are secretly making magitech weapons, but neither wants to show them first, since then they'd lose our support."

"So at the moment, the possible alliances with yours and Enma's countries are keeping the peace," Suzu-chan concludes.

"Precisely."

"Geez, are they seriously stupid enough to make magitech machines?" Ritos-san complains. "This is why I hate politics..." He pauses. "No offense..."

"None taken."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" I ask Dhaos-san.

"No. This is Derris-Kharlan's conflict."

"Still, we're your allies now!"

"I suppose you are... Regardless, Enma and I can handle this."

"Ah, okay..." I'm not really sure what I should say to that... I'm still new to this whole ambassador thing.

Eh...? We're slowing down... We're entering a city now, actually. Wow, it's... This city's built on—and even in a cliff...! There's a waterfall falling down the center of the cliff, so I can't see all of it... It's completely vertical in layout, with huge holes in the cliff for the different city districts. That's not a problem for angels, but... How are we going to reach King Enma...? Wait... "This is where King Enma lives?"

"Yes. He lives at the very top."

"Ah... So how are we going to reach him...?"

"There's an elevator. It's usually used for transporting goods, but they'll let us in," Dhaos-san explains.

"Well, as I said before, I'm not one for politics... so I'm going to sit this one out," Ritos-san says. "I'll check out the city or something. Let me know before you guys go anywhere, all right?"

"We will!"

Ritos-san's wings appear on his back. "See you later, then!" He flies up into the city.

"This way." Dhaos-san leads us to the elevator. There's a guard outside of it, who Dhaos-san talks to in angelic. Maybe I should try learning angelic... especially if I'm going to be coming here more. The guard opens up the elevator, and we get on. There's a rail, but... it's still a pretty open elevator, and we can see much of the city from here. It starts going up. This really seems like a neat place to live... I hope we get to explore it after talking to King Enma. Well, I guess we will, since we have to find Ritos-san then.

We reach the top, where there's a set of large doors leading into... I guess King Enma's home. The guards are surprised to see Dhaos-san, and he says something to them in angelic. They open the doors for us, and we walk in.

It's pretty nice inside. It's a little dark, but there's a nice chandler to give us light. We walk down the hall and then through another set of doors, into the throne room. Wow... There's a large window looking out on Ridaria here. This place really is amazing...

King Enma's sitting on the throne. Or at least, I assume that's King Enma... this is my first time seeing him in person. He looks to be in his 50's, and he has short, dark brown hair. He watches us with kind blue eyes. His outfit is white and... Well, it's very loose and flowy. "Welcome to Vindra," he speaks up. "You must be the ambassadors... Thank you for bringing them here, Dhaos."

"You didn't tell me that they were Ami and Suzu."

"I thought it'd be a nice surprise for you. Speaking of, it's wonderful to meet you two."

"Ah, yes... You as well." This seems a little awkward...

"Now then, did you find the space-time anomaly?"

"Yes, we did." I pull Nanashi-san out of my pocket and walk over to the king. I hand him the glasses.

"This...?"

"Yes. His name is Nanashi-san... though he's looking through his database right now, so he's not paying attention..."

"Interesting... Why do you think that he's the anomaly?"

"I think it might have occurred when he warped to that cave," I answer. "He has the ability to warp, though we still don't know how far. He can also see the flow of mana, and he has a database that gives him information on things."

"Really...?" King Enma puts the glasses on. "Those streams, then..."

"That's the flow of mana."

"Hm..." He takes the glasses off now. "Your friend has a rare gift. I hope he doesn't mind if my scientists take a look at him."

"Um... I'm not really sure how to get his atten—"

"Ami!" Nanashi-san suddenly exclaims.

"Eh...?"

"I've found something—put me on."

"Nanashi-san, this is King Enma..."

"Quickly! There's no time!"

Eh?

"Here. You may want to see what it is," King Enma says as he hands the glasses back to me. I put him on...

Eh...? I'm in a cave now... Wait, and I can see just fine... "Nanashi-san? What's going on?"

"I'm not fully sure... but I'm glad I could show you."

There's a cough—I glance over. There's a boy there... He's leaning against the wall, looking a little pale. He's about my age, with long, red hair tied back in a ponytail. He's wearing a black shirt with disattached sleeves. Tied around his right arm is a ribbon, on his skin above the sleeve. His stares ahead with determined blue eyes. He pushes himself off the wall and starts running through the cave—

"Hey, wait...!" I chase after him. That noise... It sounds like there's fighting up ahead.

Ah... there's a girl there! She looks hurt... She's holding a bow and arrow. Her red hair is tied up in double buns, and she's wearing a white shirt tucked into loose red pants.

"Marty...!" The boy runs over to the girl. They look a lot alike... and she also looks to be my age...

The girl—Marty-san—glances at the boy with blue eyes. "What are you doing here? We told you to stay behind..."

"I want to help!" the boy says before coughing.

"You can't fight. You need to wait for us..."

"What's going on?" I ask.

"But that demon... She's already killed a lot of people...!"

Eh...? It's like... he didn't hear me at all... And...

"And if we don't stop her, she'll kill more. She's a threat to Aselia... and we're going to stop her once and for all."

"You can't! She'll..."

"Mark, I need you to go get Mom... We'll keep her here as long as we can."

"But..."

"Just hurry up." Marty-san gives him a smile. "We'll be fine." She then turns and runs off, further into the cave.

"Marty...!" Mark-san start coughing hard.

"Ah, are you okay?" He stops coughing and worriedly stares off in the direction Marty went.

"I don't think he can hear you, Ami," Nanashi-san speaks up. Nanashi-san's right... It's like I'm not even there...

"I... I have to do something... I don't want to lose them... I can't lose them...!"

There's a blast of magic—"Ah...!"

**Nanashi gained the title of Supreme Concentration. When he's wrapped up in his database, there's no getting through to him.**

**Dhaos gained the title of Keeper of Peace. With the possible alliances of his and Enma's nations, other countries fear going to war.**


	6. C05: Seeking Lost Ones

**Wow, a lot of characters decided to make their appearance in this chapter. Well, for new characters, please welcome Vanessa, Anthon, and Seth! I've just added most of the new people in this chapter to the Teishi 2 website.**

**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own Seth, Vanessa, and Anthon! Oh, and Marty, Meri, and Mark! ...but not any of the Phantasia characters, sadly. They're owned by Namco Bandai.**

**Edit: To SheenaMalfoy-san: I just got your review on my previous story! Since it sounds like you're going to be reading this one, I decided to put a little bit of a response here. If you could please give me your email (making sure to spell out the at and dot and all, since this site can be a pain about that), then I'll give you a proper reply. :D Oh, and as for the weapons, they were made using aonis (I hope I spelled that right), which was a material used in ToS so Lloyd could use a certain sword. And the Devil's Arms... I hope to have more with them in this one, but that does partially depend on how the characters end up going about things. :D'**

**-Chapter 05: Seeking Lost Ones-**

Uhn... What happened...? I open my eyes—I'm in a bedroom... Suzu-chan's sitting on the bed next to me, and Dhaos-san is leaning against the wall near the door. "Ami... Are you all right?" Suzu-chan asks.

"I'm fine..." I sit up. "What happened...?"

"You fainted as soon as you put Nanashi on."

"Eh...?"

"King Enma gave us a room... You've slept for almost a full day. Nanashi as well..." She glances at the table next to me—Nanashi-san's sitting on top of it. "He woke up not too long ago."

"Good morning!" Nanashi-san greets.

"Good morning... Nanashi-san, that vision..."

"Yeah, I don't know exactly what it was, either... I haven't found any information on those two in my database."

"What did you see?" Dhaos-san asks.

"We were in a cave somewhere... There was a boy—Mark-san. He was coughing a lot... like he was sick or something. And an archer girl, Marty-san... And I think there were others in their group ahead of them, fighting a demon."

"A demon...?"

"Yeah... I didn't get to see it, but they said that she's going to kill people... Marty-san said that she was going to keep the demon there as long as she could, but... We have to save them...!"

"We don't know these people," Dhaos-san points out.

"I don't care... I can't let them die—not when I can save them!"

"What are you going to do? Your powers have been zapped."

"Ah... Still, I want to help them! If nothing else, maybe we can help them escape!"

"Do you even know where they are?"

"Ah... um... a cave..."

"In Aselia or Derris-Kharlan?"

"I... don't know..." Dhaos-san is right... I can't do anything for them... I know that they're in danger, but...

Dhaos-san sighs. "I'm going to take Nanashi. Ami, Suzu, you'll be returning to Aselia soon... You should let Ritos know that you're leaving while you have the chance." He walks over to the table and picks up the pair of glasses.

"Ah, okay..."

"If I don't see you two again, bye Ami, Suzu!" Nanashi-san calls out as Dhaos-san exits the room.

"Ah, bye Nanashi-san, Dhaos-san!" And they're gone... I hope they come to see us off...

"We should find Ritos-san," Suzu-chan says.

"Right." I stand, and we exit the room. Suzu-chan leads the way out of the castle, back to the elevator. There's no guard up here—we get on the elevator. I wonder what level Ritos-san is on... There are so many to choose... And I can't even read them since they're in angelic... Um... I press the one at random. It takes us down, and we get off there.

We walk into the center area, where all the shops are. There are so many angels... Where's Ritos-san...? "I don't see him... Do you, Suzu-chan?"

"No. Perhaps we should try a different level."

"Yeah..." We head back into the elevator. I press another random level. We're never going to find Ritos-san like this...

It opens up—inside a building...? There's a receptionist desk ahead—we walk over. "Um, excuse me..." I don't know if this woman will be able to understand me...

She stares up us blankly for a moment.

"D-does anyone here speak Aselian...?"

"I do... I apologize; I'm just surprised," the woman says.

"Oh good..."

"How can I help you?"

"Um, we're looking for a friend of ours. Ritos-san."

"You're friends of Ritos'?"

"Yes... You know him?"

"I went to school with him. Well, you're in the right place—he's just down the hall, in the fifth door on the left."

"Ah, thank you!" We wave to her and head down that way. Fifth door... here! I open the door—

Ritos-san turns to look, surprised. Behind him is a woman laying in a bed... Wait, this is... a hospital...?

"Oh, hey guys," our friend says. The woman asks him something, so he turns to her and replies—I hear him say our names...

The woman sits up. "It's nice to meet you both," she says. "My name's Vanessa... I'm Ritos' mother."

Eh...?

"You really shouldn't sit up..."

"I'm fine, Ritos... They said that I should be able to go back home tomorrow."

Ritos-san... He looks really worried... Is this why he wanted money...? "Um, we were just coming to let you know that we're headed back to Aselia now," I tell him.

"Dhaos-sama told me that you'd be headed out soon. Well, I'm ready whenever."

"Eh?"

"Since your powers got zapped and all, you'll need a gentleman to escort you back home."

"Shouldn't you stay here, with your mom...?"

"It's fine. I was just telling her how I'd be leaving soon. Who knows, maybe I'll have better luck getting some gald in Aselia!"

"Are you sure that's all right...?"

"Of course!" He turns back to his mother. "I'll be back soon, Mom."

"Take care. And Ami, Suzu, please watch after Ritos for me... I know he can be a bother sometimes, especially when it comes to lovely young women..."

"Mom!"

Vanessa-san chuckles. "Have fun, all of you."

"Thank you! We will."

"Let's go." Ritos-san walks past us, out of the room; Suzu-chan and I follow. We get in the elevator and ride up to King Enma's place...

"Hey, Ritos-san... Do you know any caves around here...?"

"Eh? Caves? Why?"

I explain to him what happened in that vision Nanashi-san and I saw.

"Hm... a powerful demon...? Well, there aren't many demons on Derris-Kharlan—I've heard that they're all Aselian. So these people are probably somewhere on Aselia."

"Really...? Then do you have any idea where, Suzu-chan?"

"Was there any water?"

"No, not that I saw... But it was kinda narrow, and we ran down some stairs to get to Marty-san—actually, it was wider down there..." The elevator reaches the top, and we walk into the building.

Suzu-chan thinks about this. "It could be Morlia, Volt's Cave, or the Cavern of Spirits..."

"The Cavern of Spirits is near Miguel, right?"

"Yes, and Volt's Cave isn't too far away, either."

"Let's try those first, then! We can get to those faster!"

We walk into the throne room, where King Enma's waiting. "I'm glad to see you're well, Ami."

"Ah, thank you..."

"Are you ready to go, then?"

"Yes."

"Right this way, then." He leads us down the hall... We eventually enter a room with a machine that looks kinda like Cust. Ah, Dhaos-san's here with Nanashi-san!

"Dhaos-san! Nanashi-san!"

"Hey Ami! We decided to go with you," Nanashi-san says.

"Eh? Really? But don't you have things to do here, Dhaos-san?"

"...If there's really a powerful demon in Aselia, then this is what I can do for our alliance."

Dhaos-san...

"Well, step on," King Enma says. We all do as we're told, and Dhaos-san hands Nanashi-san back to me. "Anywhere in particular you want to go?"

"Miguel," I answer quickly. Maybe a little too quickly...

King Enma chuckles and types something into a computer. "Miguel it is, then. I wish you five well."

"Thank you!" A red light engulfs us—

It disappears. We're standing in the Forest of Spirits, right in front of Yggdrasil-san.

"Whoa—" Ritos-san glances up at the tree in amazement. "This is..."

"Yggdrasil," Suzu-chan says.

"My home's near here—I should let Onii-chan know that I'm back."

"Oh, so I finally get to meet this infamous brother of yours?"

"Heh heh, yep!" I lead the way back to the town. I'm already home... but I'm not done yet. After I let Onii-chan know that I'm back, I'm going straight to one of the caves.

We enter the town. It's a quiet town, but it's nice. I love it here... I walk into my house—"I'm home!"

Mom quickly comes to see me. "Welcome back. Oh, and Dhaos-san. I didn't expect to see you here."

"It's been a while."

"So it has."

"Ami-chan! Suzu-chan!" Arche-san bursts into the room. "How was Derris-Kharlan? Whoa—you brought back Dhaos?"

"Yep! He's actually the person we went to meet." Hm? Ah, there's Anthon! He's a cute kid—he's two years old. He has dark blue hair and matching eyes. "Hello, Anthon!"

"Welcome home..." he says cutely. Heh, he really is adorable...

"Thank you."

"And who's your new friend?" Mom asks.

"I'm Ritos. Ritos Maliott."

"Maliott...?"

"Yeah. Hession was my father." Ah... Dhaos-san must've already told him... There's a pause for a moment... "Heh... But don't worry about it! He was your enemy, right? You were both just fighting for what you thought was best. Besides, I'm not the type to hold grudges."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ritos-kun. I'm Milard, this is Arche, and this is my son, Anthon."

"It's nice to meet you, too."

"And I'm Nanashi!" Ah, Nanashi-san... Mom and Arche-san look confused now.

I pull the glasses out of my pocket to show them. "Here... This is Nanashi-san. He's a pair of talking glasses that we met on Derris-Kharlan."

"A pair of..."

"...talking glasses...?"

"Yep, that's me!" Arche-san snatches him out of my hand and starts examining him. "H-hey...!"

"Is it some sort of trick or something?"

"I'm not a trick!"

"Hm...?" Arche-san puts him on. "Those streams... Is that mana?"

"Yeah... That's pretty good of you to notice."

"You're not Yggdrasil, are you?"

"Eh? No, why?"

"Because that seems like something he could do." Arche-san sighs and takes Nanashi-san off; she hands him back to me.

"Isn't Yggdrasil with Onii-chan? Speaking of, where is he...?" I'm surprised he hasn't come to greet me yet...

"He left."

"Eh? Left...?"

"Yggdrasil's spirit has gone missing. Klarth and Chester-kun went to find him," Mom explains.

"Missing...? But how...?"

"I'm not sure... But don't worry—I'm sure they'll all be back soon."

"If Chester doesn't get back soon, he's getting a Fire Storm," Arche-san says, annoyed. Heh... She must be really worried about him. "And I need to think of a suitable punishment for Yggdrasil for worrying everyone..."

"Are you sure it's smart to punish your tree of life...?" mutters Ritos-san.

"Of course! He can't randomly go missing and worry us like that!"

"Now it sounds like he's your kid or something..."

"Well, we're actually headed back out," I speak up. "We think there might be some people in trouble, so we're headed to find them. We'll keep a lookout for Onii-chan and Dad, too!"

"Some people...?" Mom asks.

"Yeah... Nanashi-san and I saw a weird vision of two people. It sounds like they were fighting a tough demon, so... I want to help them." Ah... they look worried. "Don't worry! With me, Suzu-chan, and Dhaos-san, we'll be fine!" Maybe it's best not to mention that our power got zapped...

"All right... Then be careful."

"Thank you! We will!"

"I'm going with you!" Arche-san says.

"No you're not. I told you before; you're staying here."

"Why? I'm not due until June!"

"That's only two months away."

"So?"

"So you're staying here."

"Darn it, I hate not being allowed to fight..." Arche-san complains.

"I doubt we'll be long. However, we should hurry if we want to help them," Suzu-chan points out.

"Right. We'll see you two later. Bye Mom, Arche-san, Anthon!" I wave to them, and we head out. We head east of the city, to the Cavern of Spirits—that one's closer, so might as well try there first.

"Your mom seems really nice, Ami," Ritos-san says.

"Yeah! And your little brother's pretty cute!" Nanashi-san agrees.

"Heh, thank you!"

"Though, too bad about your big brother... Guess I'll have to wait a little longer to meet him."

"Yeah... Suzu-chan and I saw him just before leaving..." Still... "...I hope he's okay..."

"Your brother... His name's Chester, right?" Nanashi-san asks.

"Yep, that's him! Chester Barklight."

"I know I have some on him in my database. If I find out where he is, I'll let you know!"

"Ah, thank you! My dad's name is Klarth F. Lester, if that helps."

"All right, then I'll look for stuff on either of them! Though I've seen a few Lesters in my database..."

"Heh, he's from a pretty long lineage. We met a Lester from four thousand years ago. And then another from two thousand years ago..." Sardon-san... "Hey, Nanashi-san? If you see anything on Sardon H. Lester, will you tell me?"

"Sardon? Okay. Is he a friend of yours, too?"

"Yeah..."

"He got trapped in the rift between space and time on our previous adventure," Suzu-chan explains.

"Whoa... That's possible?"

"Yes. The valkyries warned us that if we follow him, we'll get lost as well. However, they also said that there may be two people who can help him."

"Really? What two people? Maybe I can find them, if not your friend."

"Um... A man who drowns in the lost pains of others and a being of four species," I tell him.

"Uh... that's... not going to be easy... I mean, maybe the four species one, but the other? How do you even identify someone like that?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Well, I'll keep my eyes open! If I find anything out about any of those people, I'll let you know right away!"

"Thank you, Nanashi-san!"

We reach the cavern and walk in. It's pretty dark in here... Suzu-chan leads the way across a bridge and through the cave. We walk through a door, then around and down a set of stairs—

"Ah, this is it...!" I run over to a wall—"Mark-san was here when I saw him!"

"Then let's keep going. Be careful, though—that demon could still be here," Dhaos-san warns.

"Right!" We head on, down another set of stairs—this leads to the place where I saw Marty-san. She then ran ahead... this way. I lead the others—I don't hear any fighting, though... I hope they're okay...

There's a lot of water here now—maybe that's why Suzu-chan asked... I didn't really see many of the caves in the present time in our last adventure—I joined right as we time traveled.

Ah—there's a person ahead...! He has his back turned to us; he has dirty brown hair and is wearing a dark blue cape...

"Hey!" I call over as we run towards him. The young man quickly spins around, drawing his sword. I halt—"Ah..."

He blinks and sheathes his sword. "My apologies. I thought you were a demon..." He's about my age... He watches us with kind blue eyes, though his hair's covering his left eye completely... He's wearing a nice outfit—I think his blue shirt might be silk... It's buttoned up on the left side, and there's a triangle clasp holding his cape on. His pants are white, and they're tucked into a pair of nice brown boots. He has some pretty big bad wounds, too...

"Ah, no... Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Sure you are..." Ritos-san concentrates... and then heals the young man. "There. Sorry I can't do much more."

"It's fine. Thank you."

"Um... Is there anyone else here?"

"Eh?"

"Nanashi-san and I saw a vision—there was a boy with long red hair, and a girl with red hair in buns. They were talking about fighting a demon..."

The young man nods. "We were... I came back to see if they were here, but... there's no one."

Ah... He must've been one of the people fighting. "I see... Well, what's your name? I'm Ami Barklight. This is Suzu-chan, Dhaos-san, Ritos-san, and Nanashi-san."

"Nanashi...san?"

"Yep!" I hold up the pair of glasses.

"Hello!" my friend greets.

"Ah... hello..."

"Ami, perhaps you should hold off on introducing Nanashi to people," Dhaos-san suggests.

"Oh... Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Heh... Well, my name's Seth," the man says with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

"You, too."

"What happened exactly?" Suzu-chan asks.

"Well, Marty, Meri, and I were fighting Sakris... Suddenly there was a white light, and next thing I knew... I was outside, northwest of this cavern."

"A white light...?"

"Yes... I'm not really sure what it was. I hope those three are all right..."

"I saw Marty-san... Meri-san's another friend of yours?"

"Yes. She, Marty, and Mark are my best friends."

"And Sakris...san?"

"She's the demon we were fighting."

...Eh? Suzu-chan pulls out her dagger... Dhaos-san gets into fighting position as well. Seth quickly turns around, towards the water, pulling his sword out. Ah, the water's bubbling...! I pull out my hammer, and Ritos-san summons his spear.

A large green frog jumps out of the water. Eh...? It ribbits... and—its tongue—"Seth-san!" He's been grabbed by it...!

"I'm fine!" He manages to strike the ground with his sword. "Demon Fang!" A blast of energy charges forward, hitting the frog—it releases him. He knows Demon Fang...?

Ah—ow...! It suddenly rammed me...!

"Ami!" A magic circle appears under Ritos-san.

I push myself up. "Pow Hammer!" All right, that stunned it—I rush in and swing at it, hitting it over the head.

"First Aid!" I feel better already... I strike again—eh? It jumped back into the water... We wait a moment. It's quiet... too quiet... Is it going to attack again...?

"Ack!" Ritos-san...! I spin around—now it has him with its tongue...!

"Demon Fist!"

"Demon Fang!"

Both strikes hit the thing's tongue—it lets go of Ritos-san and returns into the water. The angel's wings appear on his back, and he quickly flies above us. He starts charging up from there. We prepare for another attack as Ritos-san heals himself.

"Ami, watch out—"

Suzu-chan jumps in front of me, taking the hit...! "Suzu-chan!"

"Suzu!"

"I'm fine..." Suzu-chan pushes herself up...

The frog jumps out of the water, lunging at us—"Pow Hammer!" That stunned it—

Seth-san quickly stabs it, and the frog falls. We all watch it a moment... I hope it's done...

Yeah, it's not moving. Phew...

Ritos-san lands next to us. "Hey, Suzu, you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. Your face is pale..." Eh...? Ritos-san is right...

"That frog... it might've been poisonous," Seth-san speaks up. "Hold on..." He concentrates, and a magic circle appears under him. What's he... "Antidote!" He smiles. "How's that...?"

"Thank you," Suzu-chan replies. "I feel better."

"First Aid!" Ritos-san heals her. He looks pretty exhausted now, though... Suzu-chan offers him an orange gel, which he gladly takes.

"Thank you all for your help," Seth-san says as he sheathes his sword.

"Thank you for healing Suzu-chan..."

He smiles. "I'm glad I was able to help."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to find my friends."

"We're headed to Alvanista now—do you want to come with us?"

"Thank you, but no. I have some places I want to check for them first," Seth-san says. "But if you'll keep an eye out for them, that'll help a lot. Especially Mark..."

"Oh right, Mark-san was coughing a lot..."

"Yes... He's sick. If you find him, would you mind escorting him to Alvanista for me? I'll head there when I'm done checking those place."

"Sure, no problem! Um... Do you mind keeping an eye out for some of our friends, too?" I ask him.

"All right. Who am I looking for?"

"My brother and dad—Chester Barklight and Klarth F. Lester. They both have blue hair in a low ponytail... Onii-chan's an archer, and Dad has a bunch of weird markings and wears a hat."

Eh? Seth-san looks a little surprised... He smiles again. "What should I tell them if I see them?"

"Tell Onii-chan that Arche-san needs him at home."

"...I will. Well, I should get going then... I may see you again sometime." Seth-san turns and starts walking out. He then pauses and turns back to us. "Oh right... I'm curious. Ami-san, Suzu-san, how old are you two?"

"Eh? We're both seventeen," I answer.

"Seventeen... So a year older than me."

He's sixteen? I thought he was older...

"When did you turn seventeen?"

"Me? Earlier this month..."

"Ahh, that explains why you look so young. Happy late birthday, Ami-san."

"Ah, thank you!"

"Well, I'll see you again." Seth-san turns and walks out now.

"What was with _that_?" Ritos-san asks. Eh? He sounds annoyed...

"What do you mean?"

"Asking how old you are like that. And then there's that emo haircut and the smile... I'm not sure I trust him."

"Eh? But he seemed really nice. And plus, he healed Suzu-chan!"

"The more they smile and the nicer they are, the more you need to watch out for them. Those types are always hiding something," Ritos-san says.

"That's not true..."

"Sometimes it is," Dhaos-san speaks up. "However, he's gone now; we should head to Alvanista."

"Right! Let's go!" We head out of the cave. Cless-san, Mint-san... I'll see you two soon!

**Ritos gained the title of Working Son. I have to work hard for my mother...**

**Dhaos gained the title of Helping Ally. It may not be my problem, but this is what I can do for the new alliance.**

**Suzu gained the title of Quick Protection. She's the first to notice danger, and she'll use those skills to protect her friends without question.**

**Ami gained the title of Seeking Lost Ones. Mark-san, Marty-san, Onii-chan, Dad, Sardon-san, Meri-san... Why do people keep disappearing...?**


	7. C06: Angelic Teacher

**Sorry for the wait! This is a short chapter, but hopefully the next one will have more excitement.**

**Anyway, have fun learning Lat—I mean, angelic. Yes. Angelic.**

**(For those who are curious: I've been using Old Norse for ancient angelic, and per SheenaMalfoy-san's suggestion (and the fact that Colette uses it in the ToS anime), common angelic is Latin. It's been **_**forever**_** since I studied Latin, but I have someone that can re-teach me. Also, enjoy your title, Sheena-san!)**

**Well, enjoy this chapter!**

**Edit: Almost forgot! Starry-chan drew a lovely picture of Mark which is now on the Teishi 2 website~ He looks so adorably confused XD I'll add more pictures if she draws me any more on paintchat... (I am so not hinting at anything)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

**-Chapter 06: Angelic Teacher-**

We walk out of the cave and head north. "So how do we get to this Alvanista place?" Ritos-san asks.

"We can go north to Venezia and catch a boat to it there," I explain.

"Can't Nanashi warp or something?"

"I can, but... If I don't know where I'm going, then I can't. Even if I know, there's a chance I could mess up... I haven't done it enough to figure out the mechanics," Nanashi-san explains.

"That's fine. This way we get to have a nice trip!" I point out.

"That's true. And I get to see a lot of Aselia!"

"Right!" I turn to Dhaos-san. "And you didn't see much of Aselia in the present time, did you?"

"No."

"And Nanashi-san's never been outside of a cave... Heh, well, I'll try to show you some of the best places while you three are here!"

"We'll arrive at Euclid soon," Suzu-chan speaks up.

"Euclid?"

"Yeah. It's a nice city... We participated in a tournament there in the past," I explain to Ritos-san.

Oh right, the cliffs! I lead them up the slope, to the top. "Everyone, this way! There's a lovely view up here!" They follow me up to the top, where we look out over Euclid. It really is a great view, no matter what time period...

"Wow... So where exactly are we headed?" Ritos-san asks.

The ninja points ahead, to the mountains. "Venezia is on the opposite side of those," she explains.

"Let's hurry so we don't miss a ship," Dhaos-san suggests, and we walk down the cliff and towards Euclid. Well, more of around it... Once we pass it...

"After Euclid is Lone Valley," I explain.

"Lone Valley... I saw that place in the past," Dhaos-san says.

"Yep! But it's more of a valley now... Arche-san's parents live there," I explain. We keep walking in silence for a moment...

"So uh," Ritos-san speaks up, "what exactly did you guys do on your last adventure?"

"Yeah, I wanna hear, too! I can only learn so much from my database."

"We time traveled a lot! Cless-san had the Eternal Sword for most of the adventure, so he could use that to travel. We first went to the year 4304, where we met Onii-chan, Cless-san, Mint-san, and Arche-san in their past lives. That's also where we met Sardon-san, who gave us an artificial summon spirit and a communication book! Oh, and we met Brambert-san in that time as well!"

"And... why were you guys time traveling exactly?" the angel questions.

"Oh, it originally happened on accident, when Dhaos-san was trying to warp us away from the gods—they were trying to kill us. They did succeed in killing Onii-chan, but the two Mint-sans brought him back."

"Wait, what? That's possible?"

"Yep! With a unicorn horn. Though there are certain rules to it or something... Mint-san knows more about it than I do."

"Huh... I'll have to ask her about that..."

"Resurrection techniques can also be used to correct out-of-control mana in people's bodies," Nanashi-san speaks up. "At one point, they were doing experiments that sometimes turned people into monsters... but someone used a resurrection spell and managed to save at least one of them with it."

"Wow... I've never heard about something like that before..."

"Heh, it's interesting to see the way people use magic. Anyway, continue!"

"Right... Well, we went back to quite a few different times trying to get information on how to beat the gods... We met a dwarf ten-thousand years in the past—Ifalde-san. He made the weapons we're using now, which helped us a ton! We eventually ended up in the time when the gods were humans—during the Ragnarok War in Aselia, and we got to meet them as humans and some friends of theirs. After all of that, we came back to the present and defeated them!"

"You... defeated gods...?" Ritos-san asks, surprised.

"Yep!"

"...I'm so out of my league here..."

"Well, our powers are zapped now, so there's no way we could fight them again if they were to suddenly come back..." I point out.

"Even so, sounds like it was a pretty neat journey."

"Definitely!" That reminds me... "Hey, Suzu-chan? Whatever happened to the Devil's Arms?"

"The ninja are keeping them safe for the time being. I intend to figure out how to destroy them..."

"Devil's Arms?" Ritos-san asks.

"They're dark weapons that can bend the user's will to that of bloodthirsty ire," Suzu-chan explains.

"Whoa..."

"Oh yeah, I've seen some about them in my database, too. Weren't they the Nebilim, Evil Eye, Disaster, Gates of Hell, um..."

"You're thinking the original ones, before those were mostly destroyed," Suzu-chan says. "New ones have been made from their remains."

"W-why would anyone make new ones..."

"Perhaps to show off their craftsmanship, or perhaps because they were possessed. Either way, we have all of them safely sealed for the time being."

"I hope so..."

"Yeah, agreed... I don't want to accidentally pick up one of those," Ritos-san says. "Are there any other dangerous things in Aselia I should be aware of?"

"Um... I don't think so..." I tell him.

"Actually..." Nanashi-san speaks up. "Judging by the language used, that's Aselian..."

"What is...?"

"The Centurion cores."

"Centurion... cores?"

"Yeah. According to my database, holding them can hurt a human who isn't protected. In fact, just being near one can affect people... There are stories of people going insane or something because of them."

"Eh?"

"No way..."

"But once they awaken, they're fine; they don't hurt anyone like that," Nanashi-san finishes.

"Awaken? Then they're living things?" Dhaos-san questions.

"Something like that. I don't really know the specifics, but... I saw a picture of a black weird-looking dog-like one."

"'Weird-looking dog-like one'?" Ritos-san questions with a sigh. "All right, we need to work on your description."

"T-that was the best way I could describe it..."

"Don't dogs come in different sizes? And have different ear shapes?"

"Okay, okay... It was a large dog with big pointy ears and a claw-like tail. It was black with blue markings, and it had yellow eyes... Happy?"

"Very~!" the angel says triumphantly with a wide grin. "Now to going a step further, where were those markings?"

"H-how am I supposed to remember something like that...? I only saw it once..."

"Ami, there's a town ahead," Dhaos-san suddenly says. "Is that Venezia?"

Hm? I look—"Yep!" Venezia, the port city... "It's famous for its canals," I explain.

"Really? Maybe we can take a ride later~!" Ritos-san says.

"We should hurry to see Cless. I don't plan on staying here any longer than I need." Ah, Dhaos-san... He starts walking to the port, and we follow. Oh, looks like there's a boat loading to Alvanista now! We hurry over and pay the captain for a ride. We then get on the boat.

"I'm starving... Is there any restaurant on this boat?" Ritos-san asks.

Oh... Come to think of it, I'm pretty hungry, too... "Um..."

"There should be one below deck." Suzu-chan leads the way. We head down and into the first door—oh good, this is it! There's a round table in the corner with four chairs—we take a seat there.

"So, what's the best Aselian food you have here?" Ritos-san asks.

"The best? Um..."

"I enjoy miso soup. Most fish dishes are good as well," Suzu-chan says.

"I like omelets myself, but that's more of a breakfast food," I tell him.

"What about croque-monsieur? That looks pretty good!" Nanashi-san suggests.

"A... croque-monsieur? I've never heard of that..."

"Really? Maybe its Derris-Kharlan food."

"I've never heard of it either..." Ritos-san says.

"Oh, I know! We should all have some pizza!" I suggest. "What do you think?"

"Sure, why not?"

"That's fine by me."

"Very well."

"It's decided, then! What do you want on it?" We take a little time deciding; Dhaos-san has to translate some of the ingredients for Ritos-san. The waitress brings us some water and we tell her what we want.

After she leaves, I turn to Dhaos-san. "Dhaos-san, do you think you can teach me angelic?"

"You're interested in learning angelic?"

"Of course! It'll be useful, especially if I keep this ambassador job."

"...Very well. We'll stick with just common angelic for now, though—ancient angelic is normally only used for names, and it's quite different in both pronunciation and structure."

"Okay!" Heh heh, this is exciting!

"I'm interested in learning as well," Suzu-chan speaks up.

"Very well. Then I'll teach both of you while I'm traveling with you."

"Thank you, Dhaos-san!"

"I can help as well," the other angel offers.

"Thank you! When do we start?"

"We might as well start now. We may not be traveling together long."

"Heh, right!"

"Nanashi, do you know any angelic?"

"Um, I know a few words here and there... from both ancient and common, I think. And I've been trying to listen so I'll learn more. Like at that restaurant in Derris-Kharlan... I think Ritos was flirting with the waitress."

"Can you blame me? She was pretty cute."

"Do you flirt with every girl you come across?" Dhaos-san asks dryly.

"Not every girl! Just the cute ones. Speaking of, that Marty girl you mentioned before, Ami... Is she cute?"

"Eh? Well, um..."

"What did you think, Nanashi? You saw her too, right?"

"Hm... She was pretty cute, actually. But—"

"Heh heh, I hope we get to meet her soon, then!"

"What if you don't get along with her? She might be the type that doesn't take to flirting."

"Don't worry, just leave it to me! I know how to talk to lovely young women."

"Now you sound like a womanizer..."

Heh heh... "Even if they don't get along, there are some couples that are just like that. Like Onii-chan and Arche-san! Though Arche-san sometimes hits Onii-chan or throws spells at him..."

"I definitely don't want to be in a relationship like that... Violent girls aren't really my type," Ritos-san says.

"Eh? What's your type, then?"

"Sweet girls, like you~!"

"Ah..." I don't really know what to say to that...

"You can meet that girl later. For now, let's get back to angelic," Dhaos-san suggests.

"R-right." That's definitely a better subject. Come to think of it, Dhaos-san told us what a few ancient angelic words mean on the last adventure... but I don't remember any of them. It's probably better that way, though, so I don't confuse them.

"We'll start with the first verb conjugation. Groups of verbs that end in the same thing are called conjugations... The first one ends in 'are'," Dhaos-san starts explaining. The waitress brings us the pizza as he continues.

This... isn't going to be easy... Okay, 'to give' is 'dare'... If you're saying 'I give', you take off the 'are' and put on an 'o'... 'Do'... That's easy enough. 'You give' is 'das'...

"Do, das, dat, damus, datis, dant." I'm not fully sure how I'm going to remember that... Um, let's see—the 'we' one has an 'us' on the end, and the 'I' one is the only one that doesn't have the 'a'... but the others...

"Good. Now try 'to work'—'laborare'. Ami, you start."

"Um... Laboro..."

"Suzu."

"Laboras."

My turn again... "Labor... Laborat!"

"Laboramus."

Ack, um... Which one am I even on... "Labor...a... Um..."

He turns to Suzu-chan.

"Laboratis."

Ahh... I'm already messing up...

"And the last one, Ami?"

"Labor... Laborant?"

"Correct."

"Yay~!"

"Here." Ritos-san hands us each a sheet of paper. "I wrote down the endings for that conjugation. Study them some tonight. And our alphabet's on the back."

"Okay! Thank you!"

The ship suddenly jerks—what was that...? We all stand and hurry to the deck to see what's going on—I tuck Nanashi-san and the paper in my pocket as we run.

We reach the deck—it's really dark out... Ah, those monsters—

"What _are_ those?" Ritos-san demands.

"Ropers," Suzu-chan answers as she pulls out her dagger; I bring out my hammer, and we all prepare for battle. There's four of them... All right, here we go!

I charge forward and swing at one of them—I hit—ah, it got me...! I pull my hammer around and hit it again; I then raise my hand up—"Pow Hammer!" That stunned it—I hit at it a few more times, before it has a chance to attack back.

"Merciless Thunder!"

"First Aid!"

"Thank you!" I call back to Ritos-san as I atta—ah...! I'm caught...! It tightens its grip—this really hurts...

"Demon Fist!" The blast hits the one that has me—it lets go. Ow...

"Ami, put me on!" Nanashi-san instructs—I do that.

Ah, that mana stream...! All right, I can hit it—"Pow Hammer!" The thing falls—I take Nanashi-san off. Yep, that one's done! I turn to the others—looks like there's just one left now. Suzu-chan stabs it, and it falls.

"First Aid!" Ritos-san heals me some more. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah, thank you."

The people on the ship cheer—oh, I didn't even realize we had an audience... They congratulate us.

"That was amazing!"

"It's a good thing we had some fighters onboard."

"Hey, is that girl a ninja?"

A man walks over to us—ah, it's the captain! "Thank you all for fighting off those monsters," he says. "The seas have been getting more and more dangerous lately..."

"Do monsters attack a lot?" I ask.

"This is my first time getting attacked, but I've heard of others... some have even been sunk. I hear it's even starting to get bad on the land nowadays."

"And this is recent? Any idea why they're attacking?" Ritos-san asks.

"No one's sure, but... I heard rumors of a powerful demon that's been spotted recently," the captain explains. "They think he's their leader or something."

A powerful demon...? That must be the demon known as Hades that Cless-san heard about...

"Well, you should get some rest. There are plenty of bunks below... We'll arrive at Alvanista first thing in the morning." The captain walks off.

"Suzu-chan, have you seen anything recently?" I ask her.

"It's true that the monsters and demons on Aselia have been more restless, but the ninja are stopping them."

"The ninja... won't be enough..." Eh?

"Nanashi-san?"

"Not when there are too many..."

"Nanashi-san, what are you talking about?" I ask him.

"Eh? Ah, um..." He thinks a moment. "Just something I saw in my database... It talked about a lot of demons in Aselia. It's probably sometime in the past, though..."

"We can ask Klarth-san when we see him. He knows a lot about history," Suzu-chan suggests.

"Agreed. For now, though, we should rest; worrying will do us no good," Dhaos-san points out. Ah... he's right...

"Yeah. If there are demons, we'll need to be well-rested if we're gonna fight them. And I don't know about you guys, but I'm kinda exhausted..."

"Let's get some sleep. I'll see you all first thing in the morning," I say with a smile. We head down below deck, where Suzu-chan and I find the girl's bunks. I set Nanashi-san down on a table.

Oh right, I should study some before sleeping... I lay down in bed an pull out the sheet of paper. O, as, at, amus, atis, ant... Do, das, dat, damus, datis, dant...

I'm more tired than I thought... but if I don't study, then I won't learn... I have to keep trying...

Come to think of it, Onii-chan and Dad are traveling around... Neither of them are physical fighters, but if there's an increase of demons, then...

...I hope they're okay...

**Dhaos gained the title of Angelic Teacher. It is a title given to one who teaches angelic to others.**

**SheenaMalfoy-san gained the title of Language Advisor. It is a title given to someone who helps with the languages used in the story.**

**Suzu learned Merciless Thunder.**


	8. C07: Emergency Exit

**Yaaay Cless and Mint! Now Klarth's the only one from the last story who hasn't shown up yet... Poor Klarth XD'**

**Anyway, please welcome Rota Gunnr, Victor Andskot, and Loki! (Thank you Starry-chan for helping me with what Victor's wearing. T.T' Why are guys so hard to design?)**

**Oh! And this means that all of guys on the poll on my profile have come in at least a little. So you should go vote! (Or you could wait a little longer. That works too. I'm just interested in seeing what everyone thinks XD)**

**And thank you again to Starry-chan for helping me with the titles. XD' They sound soooo much better than they originally did. I especially like Nanashi's now XD'**

**...I also kinda wanna do Suzu's bonus chapter now. Well, maybe I will, maybe I won't. :D'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales series. I do, however, own Rota, Victor, and Loki :D**

**-Chapter 07: Emergency Exit-**

Un... Is it morning already...? I push myself up—it looks like Suzu-chan's already awake... I yawn and climb out of bed. I then head up to the deck. I open the door—ah, there she is! "Good morning, Suzu-chan!"

"Good morning. We're docking at Alvanista now," she tells me. "Here." She hands Nanashi-san to me.

"'Morning, Ami!"

"Good morning, Nanashi-san," I greet him happily before putting him in my pocket. "Are Dhaos-san and Ritos-san already awake?"

"Yes. They're this way." Suzu-chan leads the way to the two boys, who are staring out at the city as the ship docks.

"Good morning," I greet as I walk over.

"Good morning."

"Hey there! Did you sleep well?" Ritos-san asks.

"Yep, thank you!" I glance out at the docks—ah, that's...! "Cless-san!" I yell across the docks as I wave—he glances up and sees me, a smile on his face. He waves back. Heh heh, Cless-san is the same as always... He's wearing a normal outfit, but it's more of something a country boy would wear than a king. He still has his sword at his side and his red headband on.

The ship finishes docking, and I hurry down to my old friend. "Cless-san!" I run over to him.

"Ami, it's good to see you. Sorry I couldn't see you off before..."

"It's okay. How'd you know we'd be here?"

"Enma-san told me that you were going to Miguel first." Cless-san glances past me to see the others. "Suzu... Eh? Dhaos... What are you doing here?"

"...We can discuss that later."

"That's fine. And who's this?"

"I'm Ritos. I'm just an angel that's along for the ride—I wanted to see Aselia for myself."

"It's nice to meet you, Ritos. Welcome to Aselia," Cless-san greets him with a smile. "I'm Cless Alvein."

"Thanks. And it's nice to meet you, too."

"And this is Nanashi-san," I say.

"Hi!"

"Nanashi...?" My friend stares at the glasses, confused.

"Yep! Nanashi-san can do really neat things—he can see streams of mana and warp points—try him on!"

"Eh? Is that really all right?"

"Of course!" Nanashi-san says. "Just don't drop me. Please."

Cless-san takes the glasses and puts them on. Nanashi-san explains what he's seeing. "Wow..." He takes Nanashi-san off. "That's really amazing."

"Isn't it?" Nanashi says proudly.

"Hey, Cless-san, where's Mint-san?" I ask.

"She's making breakfast for us now."

"Yay! I haven't had Mint-san's food in way too long!"

"Let's go, then. I'd hate for it to get cold." Cless-san leads the way through the city, back towards the castle.

"Cless-san, shouldn't you wear something a little more... kingly?" I ask him as we walk.

"Really...? But... what exactly does it take to be a king...?" He looks a little worried...

"Ah..."

"Confidence," Dhaos-san speaks up.

"Responsibility," adds Suzu-chan.

"Intelligence!" the glasses pipe up.

"Care for your people," suggests Ritos-san.

"I wish it was as simple as that..." Cless-san says quietly. What it takes to be a king... That's actually a really good question... I'll have to think about that some...

We reach the castle and walk in. Cless-san leads us to the dining room, where Mint-san is setting the food out. She looks over at us as we enter. "Welcome," she says with a kind smile. "You're just in time." Wow... Mint-san's in a simple, but still pretty white dress. Then again, anything looks good on her. "Ami-chan, Suzu-chan, welcome back. Dhaos-san, it's good to see you again."

"Thank you, Mint-san!" I say as we walk over to the table.

"You as well," Dhaos says.

"Who is this...?" Mint-san asks as she looks at Ritos-san.

"I'm Ritos Maliott, miss," he says with a bow. "And who might you be?"

"My name's Mint Alvein. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ritos-san."

"You as well~"

"And I'm Nanashi!" the glasses speak up.

"Eh...?"

"He's a talking pair of glasses we found... He's actually responsible for the space-time anomaly we were going to investigate," I explain.

"I see... Well, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Nanashi-san." Mint-san smiles at him.

"Thank you!"

We take a seat at the table. Ah, Mint-san made quiche for us! She cuts it and passes it out. We all sit down and start eating... This is so good~! She's such a good cook... I should ask her to give me some more lessons later.

"Wow, this is really amazing!" Ritos-san says.

"It is! You're really good at cooking, Mint-san!"

"Ah... It's really not that good..." she says modestly, a small blush on her face. "So what brings you to Aselia, Dhaos-san?"

"...To be perfectly honest, my reason for coming is to find more mana. Our tree is recovering too slowly for the world, and it's causing some areas to fall to destruction."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Ritos-san speaks up.

"What happens exactly...?" Cless-san asks.

"Without mana to sustain our planet, the land itself will crumble and become unlivable," Dhaos-san explains. "I was hoping to ask Klarth to have his summon spirits assist us, but..."

"Unfortunately, you're just a day late... They stopped by yesterday to ask about Yggdrasil."

"Do you know where they went?" I question.

"They said that they were going to try the elf village next."

"We should go there, then! Maybe we can catch up with them!" I suggest. If Dhaos-san needs Dad's help, then that's even more of a reason to try and find them!

"Do you want the Rheairds?" Cless-san suggests. "It'll be impossible for you to get there in time without them."

"That'd be great! Thank you, Cless-san!"

"It's no problem at all," he says with a smile.

"I'll see if I can find any alternative methods to help Derris-Kharlan," Mint-san offers.

"That would be useful as well." Dhaos-san pauses a moment before continuing, "There is also the matter of the number of demons in Aselia... I have heard that there have been more than normal."

"Yeah... They've been getting more aggressive lately as well," the king explains.

"...Since you helped Derris-Kharlan before and are trying to help now, I'll look into that matter for you."

Dhaos-san... Heh heh, I think... he'd help us even without that excuse. He's a good person.

"Thank you, Dhaos," Cless-san says.

"I'll see if I can help both of you, too," Nanashi-san pipes up. "I'll keep a lookout in my database for anything useful."

"Your database...?"

"Yep! It has a _ton_ of information."

"Thank you, Nanashi-san. Is there anything we can do for you?" the queen asks.

"Nope, I have everything under control!"

We finish eating. "Well, thank you for the food. We should hurry now—I don't want to miss Dad and Onii-chan!"

Cless-san nods and stands. "I'll get the Rheairds." He walks out of the room.

Eh? Mint-san walks over to me... "Here," she says as she hands me a bag. "I made some food for you to take with you."

"Thank you, Mint-san!" I take the bag and put it in my wing pack.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to go with you... With the demons around, we have a lot of work here."

"That's fine. I know that you and Cless-san are working hard."

"You should take extra care," Suzu-chan speaks up. "Any intelligent demon would go after the two of you first."

"You don't need to worry about us... Cless and I will be fine."

Come to think of it, we haven't told them that our powers are gone... It's probably better that way, though—they'd be worried if they knew. And they have much more important things to worry about. Suzu-chan, Dhaos-san... and even Ritos-san and Nanashi are here, so I know I'll be fine!

Cless-san returns. He hands me another wing pack. "Here. I put two of the Rheairds in it... I need to keep one here, and Chester has the last."

"Two's enough. Thank you!"

"Is there anything else we can help you with?"

"I don't think so."

"We've been asked to look for some people and bring them to Alvanista should we find them," Suzu-chan speaks up. Ah right... I didn't even think about that.

Cless-san nods. "Understood. Feel free to bring them here."

"Heh heh, thank you!" I hope we're able to find them... If Mark-san's sick, then...

Cless-san and Mint-san escort us out of the castle. "Well, I guess we'll see you later, then."

"Yeah. And if you see my brother again, tell him that he better get back to Arche-san!"

"I already tried reasoning with him... You know how stubborn he can be," Cless-san says with a sigh.

"Heh heh, you have a point there... I guess I'll just have to drag him back myself, then!" I joke.

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I'll need it." I smile and wave to my friends. "We'll be back later!" Suzu-chan, Dhaos-san, Ritos-san, and I turn and walk away, towards the exit of the city. Once we're out, I open the wing pack that Cless-san gave me—the pink and purple Rheairds appear. Heh, Onii-chan probably has the blue one, knowing him... Which means Cless-san must have the green one. Suzu-chan and I get on one Rheaird, and the boys get on the other.

"Whoa, this is pretty neat," Nanashi-san speaks up.

"Yep! We used them a lot during our last adventure."

"How do they work?" Ritos-san questions. Dhaos-san shows him as we start the Rheairds up. We lift up into the air and fly southwest, towards Heimdall. The air feels really nice...

"Ami, move!" Suzu-chan reaches forward and takes the controls—whoa, that demon almost hit us...! It spins around and comes back—

"I've got it, Suzu-chan! You just attack!" I call back to her as I grip the controls harder. I pull up to get away from the bird demon as it charges at us again.

"Aqua Edge!"

"Merciless Thunder!"

The demon growls—that didn't seem to do much to it—ah, I can't move in time! It hits us—"Ah...!"

"Ami! Suzu!"

* * *

Ow... what happened... A-and why's it so cold all of the sudden... I open my eyes.

"Ami!" Nanashi-san...

"Oh, you're awake." Eh? I glance over at the young woman talking—she's really pretty... She looks to be about sixteen or seventeen, with long, wavy purple hair that hangs down to her waist. She's wearing a dark pink dress with sleeves that don't cover her shoulders, but instead leave a hole there before continuing down in a V-shape. Over the dress is a silver plate that starts from her chest and goes down to her waist. Around her waist is a flowy blue cloth, which hangs down past her skirt in the back; it's connected at the front with a light yellow wing clip. Her sandals are also blue, with straps that go up her legs. On her head is a silver circlet with wings on either side... Actually, I kinda get the feeling that I've seen her somewhere before... "Are you all right?" she asks as she walks over, sounding worried.

"I'm fine..." I sit up. "What happened? Where are my other friends?"

"Victor-san's looking for them now... Nanashi-san told us that you got attacked by a demon..."

"We did..." I glance over to the pair of glasses. "Nanashi-san, did you see what happened after it hit us...?"

"You were falling towards the ocean... I think I warped us here on accident, but I'm not sure what happened to the others..."

"Victor-san and I saw you warp here, so we brought you to the town inn. My name's Rota Gunnr."

"Ah, I'm Ami Barklight!"

"It's nice to meet you, Ami-san."

"You too!"

The door opens and a young man enters. He looks a little older than me... He has really dark brown hair and even darker eyes. He's wearing a matching brown shirt—sorta with a tunic style, but it looks pretty nice... His clothes look pretty easy to move in. I wonder if he's a traveler... No, his clothes seem a little nicer than that... He watches me with a smile on his face. "Good morning. Or perhaps good evening is more appropriate," he muses. "Regardless, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you..."

"I'm afraid I didn't find your friends. Has Rota explained everything to you?"

"Um, yes..."

"That's good. What's your name?"

"I'm Ami Barklight."

"My name's Victor Andskot," he greets, still smiling.

"Thank you both for helping me," I say.

"Yeah, thank you! I don't know what I would've done if we were attacked again," Nanashi-san speaks up.

"Don't mention it," Victor-san says. "If you'd like an escort back to the mainland, we'll be leaving here after we finish exploring."

Back to the mainland? "Where are we...?" I ask.

"Arlee, the town of eternal darkness."

Arlee... "Nanashi-san, you warped us all the way to Arlee...?"

"I guess so... Sorry."

"Where exactly were you before?"

"We were headed from Alvanista to Heimdall..." I tell him.

"You really did come a long way, then..." Victor-san thinks a moment.

"Victor-san, we should help Ami-san and Nanashi-san find their friends... or something like that could happen to them again..." the young woman speaks up.

"Agreed. I would like to go to Heimdall myself. However... we still need to find Tenebrae before leaving here."

"Tenebrae...?" I ask.

"Yes. He's known as a Centurion—the Centurion of darkness," Victor-san explains. Centurions... They're the creatures that Nanashi-san mentioned before...

"Why don't I come with you, then?" I suggest.

"Are you sure? Aren't you worried about your friends?"

"I am, but... I trust them. I know they'll be fine... They'll probably be waiting for me in Heimdall." I have to force my smile a little... "Plus, I'm not sure I'm ready to go alone... I'm still aching..."

"Here..." Rota-san offers me an apple gel. "Welcome to the group then, Ami-san, Nanashi-san."

"Heh heh, thank you!" I eat the gel.

"Thanks!"

"Shall we go, then? We believe Tenebrae's in the Cave of Darkness located near here," Victor-san explains.

"Yeah." I stand up and put Nanashi-san back in my pocket. We walk out of the inn, and I follow my two new companions through the snow. I hope the others are okay...

"So what exactly are these Centurions?" Nanashi-san asks.

"They're servants of the summon spirit Ratatosk," Victor-san explains. "There's one for each element. It's said that they can control monsters of that element."

"Ratatosk? Isn't that the summon spirit who guards the door to Niflheim?"

"Yes. Rota's a summoner, so she's looking to make a pact with him. However, he's believed to be sleeping now, so we need the Centurions to wake him up."

"Niflheim?" I ask. "There was a Devil's Arm named that..."

"It probably got its name from the demon realm."

"The demon realm...? I've heard of that in stories, but... I thought it was just fiction..."

"Oh, it's real. I used to live there," Victor says nonchalantly.

"E-eh?"

"I'm a demon. You don't need to be alarmed, though—I don't eat humans or any of that nonsense," he assures me with a smile.

Victor-san... He seems like a really nice guy. And besides... I smile up at him. "Heh heh, I trust you. Not all demons are bad... I'm actually kinda glad to meet another one who's not."

"'Another one'? You know a demon already, then?"

"Yeah. My brother got turned into a werewolf six years ago."

"A werewolf... How interesting. Those are quite rare nowadays."

"Wow, you didn't tell me your brother was a werewolf, Ami!" Nanashi-san speaks up. "Now I'm even more excited to meet him! Oh, Victor! What type of demon are you? And what sort of magic can demons use?"

Victor-san chuckles. "I'm a lizard demon. I come from a strong lineage, so I can keep a human form. As for magic, you'll see soon enough."

"Are you going to use some against those monsters?"

Eh? Monsters? I look—ah, there are three human-looking things with flowers on their head...

"Precisely." Victor-san pulls out—is that a bouncy ball...? Rota-san reaches up to her circlet and pulls a whip out of it, getting into a fighting stance. I get my hammer out of its wing pack and prepare for battle.

Victor-san charges forward—a sword of fire shoots from his bouncy ball just in time to slash at the enemy. It then curves at the end, going back and hitting the enemies before the fire part disappears. Wow...

"Ami, shouldn't you be fighting, too?" Nanashi-san reminds me.

"Ah, right!" I charge forward and attack another one with my hammer. A vine comes out from under its feet and hits me—ow... I whack it again!

"I summon thee... Come, Loki-chan!" A wolf demon appears and attacks the last monster. I can't pay attention to that right now—I hit my enemy again.

"Shadow Feint!" Victor-san calls out.

I need to do better... "Coil!" I hit my enemy again—that hurt it more! It attacks with its vine—I hold my hammer up to block this time. I quickly pull my hammer up—all right, that was a good hit! The thing falls to the ground, unconscious. I turn to the other two—ah, they're already done...

"You're a skilled fighter, Ami," Victor-san compliments me with a smile.

"Thank you! That ball of yours is pretty amazing!"

"Oh, this? I simply power it with my own mana. Here." He tosses the ball to me, and I catch it. Huh... It looks and feels like an ordinary bouncy ball. "If I were to run out of mana, I suppose I'd just have to bounce it at the enemies," he says jokingly.

"That's still really amazing..." I pass it back to him. I then turn to Rota-san, who still has her wolf friend out. "And who's this?"

"This is Loki-chan... He's a demon I helped once, and he's been a dear friend ever since," she answers.

"Hello, Loki-chan!" I greet.

"Hey, only Rota-sama can use 'chan' on my name!" Eh? He talks?

"A-ah, sorry, Loki-san!"

Rota-san pets him. "It's all right... Loki-chan is really kind. He's the only one I've made a pact with so far."

A pact... "Rota-san, where are your pact rings?"

"I keep them in my circlet. I guess you could say it's my wing pack," she explains.

"Wow... Everyone has wing packs nowadays..."

"All valkyries get one eventually. It's easier to hold weapons and other necessities that way."

All...

"You're a valkyrie?" Nanashi-san and I chorus.

"Yes... Ami-san, you're part of that group who defeated the gods, right? I saw you in the Spirit Realm then," she explains.

I remember now... "You were the one that brought Cless-san his sword..."

"That's right. The other valkyries said to leave it, but... Odin-sama said that we should help you as long as you protect Aselia."

Odin-san... He and the other gods really cared about this world...

"So Ami's part of the group who defeated the gods... How interesting..." Victor-san says. "I'd like to hear more of that, but perhaps while we're on the ship back to the mainland. For now, we should hurry before we're attacked again."

"Ah, right!"

"Loki-chan..."

"Call me again if you need me, Rota-sama." Loki-san disappears into Rota-san's circlet.

Valkyries, demons, angels... Heh heh, I'm really meeting a lot of interesting people!

**Nanashi gained the title of Emergency Exit. If there's danger, he'll warp to try and save his friends.**

**Victor gained the title of Gracious Demon. Just because I'm a demon doesn't mean I don't have manners.**

**Rota gained the title of Valkyrie Aid. She helped Ami's group six years ago, and now she's doing what she can to help Ami again.**

**Ami learned Coil.**

**Suzu left the party.**

**Dhaos left the party.**

**Ritos left the party.**

**Victor joined the party.**

**Rota joined the party.**


	9. BC01: Straightforward Responder

**Please welcome Anjin Torii! Whom Ami doesn't even get to meet yet. XD**

**Anyway, the first official bonus chapter, from Suzu's point of view :D So, I hope you enjoy! (And you get to hear about some demons I've made for RPs. Miraz and Erebus were both evil jerks. Trause, the fox demon, is pretty awesome, though :D)**

**Also, I forgot to say last chapter—I'm working on voicing the prologue (Bonus Chapter 00) with some friends. I have some more info up on it on the Teishi 2 site, but if Wan-san does a good Hades when he tries out, then we can start with the voicing :D**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the Tales games. Do own the awesome samurai.**

**-Bonus Chapter 01: Straightforward Responder-**

Un... My body aches...

"...Are you awake, Miss?"

That voice... It doesn't belong to Dhaos-san or Ritos-san... I open my eyes. There's a young man, probably about nineteen, standing there. He has dark skin and pointy ears. His light blue hair is tied up in a high ponytail. More importantly, he's carrying a katana...

His black eyes watch me. "I found you on the beach... Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." I sit up. "There were others with me—where are they?"

"Others...? I didn't see anyone else..."

I stand.

"Are you sure you should be walking? Those injuries are no laughing matter..."

"I must find them."

The man thinks a moment. "Then allow me to come with you. It would be dishonorable to allow you to go alone with those kinds of injuries."

Dishonorable...? He's...

"Even if you're a ninja," he adds.

"You're a samurai."

"Correct. My name is Anjin Torii. What's yours?"

"...Suzu Fujibayashi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fujibayashi-san. Shall we, then?" He turns and leads the way out of the inn. It seems we're back in Alvanista... "Where were you headed?"

"We were flying to Heimdall."

"Flying...?"

"Yes. We were using machines."

"That explains why you washed up on shore... I could probably find your friends for you, but perhaps you should stay here."

"I will search as well," I tell the samurai.

"Very well, then." We exit the city and he glances around. "Hm... I found you to the east, so they're either further than that or to the west..." He smiles down at me. "Let's try west, shall we? I can always fly us to the east if need be."

I nod. "That's fine." We start walking to the west in silence. He said he could fly us, but... "Torii-san, how do you intend to fly us to the east?"

"I'm an Unseelie," he answers. "Or I guess you could say a demonic fairy."

That explains it. There are no human samurai, but if he's a demon, then... "Who do you work for?"

"My master is a demon known as Hades."

Hades... I pull my dagger out.

"I have heard that the ninja have been fighting Hades-sama... However, I have not been given orders to fight you, so I'd prefer to avoid it if possible. Especially since you're already injured."

"Why did you save me?"

"I couldn't very well leave you there." He glances back at me. "Do you mind if we call a truce for now? I see no reason for us to fight today."

A truce? ...I suppose that would be best. I'm in no condition to fight, and I don't know how strong he is. I put my dagger away. "Very well."

"Then let's continue searching for your friends, Fujibayashi-san."

We continue walking along the beach in silence. I stare out at the ocean. Dhaos-san and Ritos-san can fly, but...

"How do your friends look?" Torii-san asks.

"The one I'm most worried about is Ami. She has long blue hair in pigtails and is wearing a blue dress."

"And the others?"

"My other companions are Dhaos-san and Ritos-san. Dhaos-san has long, wavy blond hair, and Ritos-san has short brown hair."

"All right, I'll let you know if I see anything." We fall back into silence. "...Fujibayashi-san," he says after a while. I glance up at him. "What are your friends like?"

"...Why do you ask?"

"Hm... curiosity, I suppose."

I don't answer. The less he knows about us, the less he has to report to his master.

"...All right, I guess that's not a good question..."

There's a Rheaird ahead—I hurry over to it.

"A machine... Is this what you were flying on?" Torii-san asks.

"Yes. This is the one that Dhaos-san and Ritos-san were on."

"Then it seems we're going the right way."

I continue walking along the beach, glancing out towards the water. They're probably looking for us.

"If the Rheaird's over here, then they're probably on land, aren't they?" Torii-san asks.

"They can fly," I explain simply.

"Fly...? They're not demons, are they?"

"They're angels."

"Angels... Those are the people from that other planet, correct?"

"Yes."

"Interesting... I didn't know there were people from there on Aselia." After a moment, he continues, "What's the name of that planet again?"

"Derris-Kharlan."

"Have you been there?"

"Yes."

"What's it like?"

Why is he asking me so many questions? Regardless, I answer, "It's a rich land, though a bit colder than Aselia."

"I heard that it's full of mana."

"That's mostly true. However, much of its mana has been drained."

"Drained... by magitechnology?"

"Yes." I glance up at Torii-san. "I once heard that mana hurts demons..."

"That's somewhat true. It hurts the more powerful ones and those that have been affected by Niflheim's mist. However, if we get used to the mana, then we can live fine with it," he explains. "I personally like mana, since it allows me and other demons to use magic we probably couldn't otherwise... but I know that there are other demons who hate it."

"Would they try making magitechnology to get rid of it?"

"I wouldn't put it past some of them... There are some dangerous demons in Niflheim. One demon that I heard of is a tiger who kills others to steal their powers. And there's another who enjoys playing games where the lives of the people his opponent cares about are at stake. Apparently that guy was a babysitter."

"Not all demons are like that, though."

"I'm glad you think that... I, for one, would never do something so dishonorable. I also met a fox demon who seemed like a decent person." After a moment of silence, he says, "Though the way you said that... Do you know any other demons, Fujibayashi-san?"

"Just one."

"What type?"

"Werewolf."

"A werewolf? Interesting... Bitten or born that way?"

"Bitten."

"He must've been in for quite the surprise, then..."

"Suzu...!" I glance up at the sky—the angels are flying this way. They land next to us, and a magic circle appears under Ritos-san.

"Who is this?" Dhaos-san asks as his wings disappear.

"My name is Anjin Torii," he says. "You must be Dhaos-san and Ritos-san..."

"First Aid!" Ritos-san heals me. "That doesn't really explain who you are, though."

"He's the one who saved me... and a demon that works for Hades," I explain.

"From the way you said that, I can't tell if you're grateful or if you hate me..." Torii-san mutters. "Anyway, I'm on a truce with Fujibayashi-san at the moment."

"Hades... Isn't he the leader of the demons here or something?"

"Correct. I'm scouting the area for him."

"Okay, this is a little awkward... Well uh, thanks for saving Suzu?" Ritos-san says.

"It wasn't a problem at all."

"Where's Ami?" I ask.

"She disappeared. It seems Nanashi warped her," Dhaos-san explains.

"...So she could be anywhere..."

"Nanashi?" Torii-san speaks up.

"Yeah... He's a talking pair of glasses," Ritos-san tells our enemy. "Dammit, she could be back on Derris-Kharlan for all we know..."

"Hm..." Torii-san steps back—I glance at him. "Well, I suppose I should take my leave now," he says. "If I see your friend, I'll help her find you." Four black, feathered wings appear on his black. "Take care. Next time I see you, we may be on opposing sides." He flies away.

"Huh... For an enemy, he didn't seem that bad," Ritos-san says.

"We should hurry and find Ami, preferably before she and Nanashi get themselves in trouble," Dhaos-san says.

"Agreed."

"Yeah."

They have to be somewhere... We'll definitely find them. And Torii-san... Thank you.

**Suzu gained the title of Straightforward Responder. It takes a lot of questions to get her to talk.**


	10. BC02: Hated Werewolf

**...I really am working on the real story. Just uh. Very slowly. And I really want to write, so... you get a bonus chapter :D'**

**Anyway, I was trying to think of where they'd meet Meri... and then I got this idea. :D' So, second bonus chapter gives you a glimpse into what Chester and Klarth are up to! (And yay, Klarth finally gets an appearance of some sort! ...He has his pact rings off for this, but they're with him still.)**

**And please welcome Meri Skolos!**

**I've also been updating the website with characters as I go. I won't add any of the Skolos siblings 'til Ami meets them in person.**

**Disclaimer: I'm too lazy to say it. But you know it.**

**-Bonus Chapter 02: Hated Werewolf-**

"Welcome Chester, Klarth," the chief greets us as we enter.

"Thanks for seeing us on such short notice," Dad says.

"You said it has to do with Yggdrasil. Is something wrong?" his eyes land on me. He doesn't trust me—none of the elves do. But they've accepted me. They have to, since...

"Yeah. He's gone missing," I answer. "Well, more of, his soul has. We wanted to check Treantwood."

The man frowns. "Yggdrasil's soul is missing...? How is the tree?"

"That's the weird part. It hasn't changed at all... nothing has. And Cless and Mint have been getting rid of magitech... The only thing that's different now is..."

"The appearance of the demon Hades, correct?" the chief finishes for me. He pauses a moment before continuing, "We found a half-demon in the forest that we're holding. She claims she doesn't work for Hades, but... we can never be too careful."

"A half-demon? Can we speak with her?" Dad asks. Good idea; I don't really know what's going on with the demons in Aselia, but if she does, then maybe she can help me...

The man nods. "Right this way, please." He leads the way, and we follow. He takes us to a shed with guards on either side. I guess these elves don't really have a good jail cell... He unlocks the door and opens it, allowing us to enter first.

Sitting inside is a teenage girl. She has red hair with a few small braids scattered throughout it. Her clothes are also red—a nice shirt and skirt, with some short underneath. She glances up at us with blue eyes, thinking.

"Hey there," I greet. The chief closes the door behind us. "We're here to ask you a few questions."

"I already told them; I don't work for Hades. He's my enemy..."

"I'm not here to ask about that. I just want to know... Do you know anything about Yggdrasil?"

She glances at me. "Yggdrasil? The world tree?"

"Yes. His soul's gone missing, so we're trying to find it," Dad explains. "If you have any information... we may be able to repay you by getting you out of here."

She stares; she then sighs and looks down at the ground. "I don't know a thing about that."

"They said that you're a half-demon..."

"That's right."

"What type of demon are you?"

"Does it matter?"

She's not exactly easy to talk to... "All right, then... What's your name?" I ask.

"Meri Skolos."

"Meri...? Is that short for anything?"

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

Not easy at all... "Merilynn, perhaps?" I pry.

She blinks and stares up at me. "How did you know?"

"I had a friend named that," I explain. "She was also a demon..." Merilynn...

_"...The girl named Merilynn was once my friend. Next time we meet, I want to see her again..."_

_"...Haha... Yeah... you will... Thank you..."_

I know it's just a name, but... "I'll get you out of here," I tell her. "I'll talk to the elves... If you don't work for Hades, then they have no reason to hold you."

She stares at me, confused. She then shakes her head. "Like you can talk the stuffy elves out of holding me here... Honestly, they're too stubborn for their own good..."

"You've got that right..."

"...My brother's sick. If you see him while you're traveling, take him to Alvanista, okay? He'll be fine there..."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah. He has red hair tied back in a ponytail. His name's Mark."

"Your brother's name... is Mark...?"

"Yeah. Why?"

That's... really weird... "Ah, sorry. Just a strange coincidence... I'll watch for him," I tell her. I turn to Dad. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. We're already searching for one person... what harm can looking for another do?"

"Thanks," the girl says.

The door opens—it's the chief. "Have you asked your questions?" he asks us.

"Yeah."

"Then come on; I'd prefer you to not stay in there any longer than needed."

"Wait," the girl calls out. "You never told me your name..."

Oh, I kinda skipped that part, didn't I? "My name's Chester. Chester Barklight."

She blinks—her curious look turns into a scowl as she stands. "You... you're Chester Barklight...?"

Eh? She knows my name? "Yeah... why?"

"Then forget everything! I don't want your help!" she yells. Wait, why is she so angry now?

"We're going to help. We can't just leave you..."

"I said I don't want it! And I don't need it—not from _you_!"

She really hates me... I don't even know what I did... Have I met her before, maybe? I'm sure I'd remember...

"Just stay the hell away from me and my family!"

"We should go. Come on, Chester..." Dad pushes me out, and the chief closes and locks the door behind us.

"Okay, what was that about?" I ask.

"I'm not sure... but I thought it better to escape before she did something reckless," Dad says.

"That was really weird, though... Her name's Merilynn, she has a brother named Mark, and she hates me... You don't think..."

"Hm?"

"There's no way Fenrir could've been reincarnated or something, right?"

"It's only been six years... that girl must've been about seventeen," Dad points out.

"Yeah, but still... that's the only thing I can think of." I pause, thinking. "...What if—"

"She's from the future? That's unlikely... I hear Cust has been malfunctioning recently, and the Eternal Sword's sealed away... Still, it is a possibility."

"What are you two talking about?" the chief asks us.

"Just trying to figure out this mystery... Anyway, do you really need to hold that girl? She's not working for Hades, and she's only half demon..."

"She looked like she was about to attack you."

"Yeah, that part's a bit weird... but she was fine before that," I tell him. "Besides, if she's who I think she is... then I have to help her."

"We can't let her go. She's dangerous."

"What if I watch over her?"

"We don't exactly trust you, either. If you weren't Yggdrasil's chosen, then we wouldn't put up with you," he tells me curtly.

Keh... Dad puts a hand on my shoulder. "Is there anything we can do to help her, then?" he asks.

The chief thinks a moment before saying, "Hades has taken an elf... Keden Vener. And even worse, his grandson, Talif, has gone out looking for him. We'll make an exchange—the girl for Keden."

"You don't leave us much of a choice. We'll look for Keden," Dad says. "But first, we need to take a look around Treantwood."

"...Very well. Just hurry up with your business here." The chief walks away. Keh... I really don't like the elves...

Dad sighs. "Well, that didn't turn out so well... We should get going."

"Yeah..." We walk through the village, to the forest. It's a good thing Dad's here... I don't think I could deal with these idiots on my own.

Well, looks like we have three people to look for now. Yggdrasil, Mark, and Keden... Keh, we better find one of them soon...

**Chester received the title of Hated Werewolf. Hated by the elves and a mysterious girl... He just can't catch a break, can he?**


	11. C08: Dark Gentleman

**All right, finally finished this one! Once I got past the hard spiteful lover of darkness, it didn't take long. (Though even if he was hard, he was kinda fun)**

**Anyway, please welcome Tenebrae! I'm so glad he got to show up... and a friend of mine designed the other Centurions (well, deciding how they look was more of a group effort), so hopefully they'll get to make an appearance eventually!**

**Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**-Chapter 08: Dark Gentleman-**

This is the Cave of Darkness... I can't see a thing in here... "Is everyone still here?" I ask.

"I'm here," Nanashi-san pipes up.

"I'm here as well," says Rota-san.

"Hold on a second..." Something suddenly lights up—Victor-san turned his bouncy ball into a fire dagger, giving us some light. "How's that?"

"Thank you, Victor-san!"

"It's not a problem. Well then, shall we continue?" He glances around before he starts walking—the rest of us follow. He leads us on a path leading down... He seems to be able to see the area better than me. Victor-san pauses at a fork, trying to figure out which way to go. "Nanashi," he speaks up after a moment, "you said you can see the flow of mana, correct?"

"Yep, that's right! Go left here!"

"Thank you." We continue to the left in silence. Victor-san and Rota-san aren't nearly as talkative as Ritos-san... Heh, though Suzu-chan and Dhaos-san aren't that talkative, either.

"Ugghh... I hate not being able to see a thing," Nanashi-san complains as we walk. "Can't you use some sort of lighting move to just light the whole thing up?"

Victor-san glances back with a smile. "I'm afraid it wouldn't work that way. If I used a lighting spell, it'd vanish much quicker than a fire spell. Not to mention that all of the sudden flashing would make it harder to discern our whereabouts."

"You have a point there... Oh, I know! What if Rota gets a glowing demon summon of some kind?"

"Isn't it a little late for that now?"

"Maybe, but it'd still be pretty neat!"

"A glowing demon...? How would it look?" I ask.

"Hm... like a giant firefly!"

"A giant... firefly?"

"Fireflies are pretty... But if it was just one giant firefly, it wouldn't be the same..." Rota-san says.

"What about a demonic firefly swarm, then?" Nanashi-san suggests.

"How interesting... But to make them flash, you'd need female fireflies, wouldn't you?" the demon points out. "That would be harder, since female fireflies don't fly."

"Oh right..."

"If I ever find a glowing demon, I'll try my best to make a pact with it for you, Nanashi-san," Rota-san offers.

"Thank you! Oh, take a right here!" Nanashi-san instructs, and we head that way. We keep walking, taking a few more turns. I hope we're able to find our way back...

And after this, we'll have to take a boat out of Arlee... There's no way I'm going to catch up with Onii-chan in Heimdall... He's probably already gone... On top of that, the Rheairds are probably broken... I'm going to have to apologize to Cless-san.

Ugh... My head hurts a little...

"Ami? Are you okay?" Nanashi-san asks.

"I'm fine..."

Victor-san stops. "It's probably the power of the Centurion Core... They emit an immense amount of energy," he explains. "Rota, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine... I can feel it, but I'm used to strong power."

"As am I. Ami, perhaps it'd be best if you waited here."

"No... I'm fine. Let's keep going." I keep walking past them. I can't give up! Besides, I kinda want to see this Centurion.

We reach an alter. On top of it is a large black... "What is that exactly? A flower bud?"

"Hm... It does resemble a flower bud, doesn't it..." Victor-san states with a smile.

"Wow, it really _does_ have a lot of power!" Nanashi-san speaks up.

"Really...?" I take him out of my pocket and put him on. Wow... The mana gathered around it is pure black, so it's impossible to tell exactly how much there is...

"That must be the core... I'll see if I can awaken the Centurion," Rota-san says as she walks over to it; I take the glasses off so I can watch. She gently picks the core up and closes her eyes, concentrating. A soft glow comes from the core... It unravels, revealing a glowing black orb with a strange symbol in it. It then floats up, away from Rota-san, and turns into a large black... dog... thing... Ah, this is the one Nanashi-san mentioned! It has yellow eyes, blue markings around its eyes, neck, and feet, and a tail that looks kind of like a hand with long fingers. "Ah... Good morning..." the valkyrie greets, sounding at a loss for words.

"That's it! That's the Centurion I was telling you about!" Nanashi-san hisses, trying not to interrupt them as he tells me.

"Good morning," the creature says. "And just who is it that woke me up?"

"I...I'm sorry. My name is Rota Gunnr... I'm looking to make a pact with your master, Ratatosk."

"A pact with Lord Ratatosk? Now that's a new one. Are you aware that he was attacked recently?"

"Attacked? By who?" I know that some summon spirits fight before making a pact, but... this sounds different...

"A demon known as Hades."

"Hades... I've heard that he's been causing some trouble recently," Victor-san speaks up. "We have no association with him."

"You're a demon yourself, are you not?"

"I am. My name is Victor. And these two are Ami and Nanashi."

"Hm? Two?"

"Hello!" Nanashi-san greets.

"Is that a pair of glasses?"

"Yep, that's me!"

"How interesting. The artifacts in this world never cease to amaze me."

"Tenebrae, we're trying to find Ratatosk... I want to use his power to help people. Will you help me?" Rota-san speaks up.

"If you plan on doing that, you'll need to awaken all of the Centurions. Lord Ratatosk won't be at full power without them."

"There's one for each element, right?"

One for each element... So that'd mean that there are eight Centurions.

"That's right. Though I must say, none of the other elements are quite as refined as darkness."

"I agree," Victor-san says with a smile. "Darkness has a certain elegance to it that you can't find anywhere else."

"Really...?" I ask. "But it's so hard to see in the darkness... I much prefer the light."

"You obviously don't understand the magnificence of darkness," Tenebrae-san tells me. "When you need to hide something, darkness is what will mask it."

"Darkness also allows you to make sneak attacks," the demon adds. "It's a useful battle tactic, especially when you're outnumbered."

"Oh, I guess that's true... Come to think of it, Suzu-chan's good at hiding in the darkness."

"Speaking about hiding, darkness can also help when you're playing things like hide-and-go-seek," Rota-chan points out.

"Oh, you're right!"

"See there? Darkness is truly intoxicating," Tenebrae-san says happily.

"Yeah, but darkness is also... lonely," Nanashi-san speaks up.

"But of course. Darkness is what allows your heart to plummet to despair in the middle of the night. It is truly fascinating."

"That's... not so good..." I mutter.

"Perhaps we should return to the topic at hand," Victor-san suggests.

"Yes... We need to help Ratatosk," the valkyrie agrees.

"Agreed. I will work with you to awaken Lord Ratatosk."

"Thank you, Tenebrae. Would you mind seeing if you can find him or any of the other Centurions?" Rota-san asks. "We have some ideas for where the Centurions might be, but..."

"You need not say another word. Finding people is one of my many specialties."

"Then we'll leave it to you. We're headed to Heimdall next, though I'm not sure where we're going after that..."

"If finding people is one of his many specialties, then I'm sure he can find us wherever we go," Victor-san points out.

"Oh yeah, you're right!"

"We're counting on you then, Tenebrae!" Nanashi-san says.

"Just leave it to me. It should take me no time at all. Look for me in the darkness once you reach your destination." With that, he disappears into the shadows.

"Heh heh, Centurions are really interesting!" I say to the others.

"Indeed they are. Shall we head back now?" Victor-san asks. "My mana's getting a little low."

"Oh right! We should hurry, then!"

The demon leads the way out. He seems to remember which way we came from, which is good... I definitely don't remember it.

"So there are eight Centurions, one for each element," Nanashi-san speaks up as we walk. "What do you think they look like?"

"Maybe the light one glows," I suggest, half-jokingly.

"Perhaps," the valkyrie agrees. "And the water one must be aquatic."

"I wonder if they all look like animals. If so, I hope there's a wolf!"

"You like wolves, don't you?"

"Yep! Oh, you should see my brother as a wolf! He's really cute!"

"I bet... I like wolves myself. Loki-chan's fur is especially soft..."

"So is Onii-chan's. He also really enjoys it when you scratch him behind the ears, but he refuses to admit it."

"I'll keep that in mind for when I meet him," she says, sounding happier now. She seems to be relaxing some... That's good.

"It seems we made it back to the entrance," Victor-san speaks up. Oh, he's right! I didn't even notice since it's so dark outside... We walk out into the snow, and his fire dagger disappears. "Shall we catch a boat now? We can rest on there."

"Yeah, good idea. Are you all right...? You had that out for a long time..."

"I ate an orange gel on the way back up, so I'll be fine."

He did? I completely missed it... Well, I was having fun talking to Rota-san about the wolves we know. "All right. Let's go, then," I say, and we head towards the port.

Come to think of it, Nanashi-san's gotten quiet all of the sudden... "Nanashi-san? Are you okay?"

He's not answering...

"Is something wrong?" Rota-san asks.

"He's probably looking at something in his database. He completely zones out when he's in there," I explain.

"How interesting..." Victor-san says. "I hope he tells us if he finds anything useful."

"I'm sure he will! Nanashi-san's quite reliable."

"Oh? How long have you two known each other?"

"Um... only two days..."

"But he warped you to try and safe your life, right?" Rota-san speaks up. "He really cares about you..."

"Hm? Who cares about who?" Nanashi-san asks.

"Welcome back! Did you find anything in your database?" I ask.

"How did you know I was looking?" Heh, he sounds surprised.

"Because you weren't answering us."

"Ah... Sorry. Well, there's still a lot I have to piece together... so I'm not really sure if it's useful or not. I'll let you know if it is, though!"

"That's fine. Thank you, Nanashi-san!" Ah, we've reached the port! Victor-san steps forward and pays for a boat ride; we get on the boat.

Come to think of it, I'm pretty hungry... I don't even know what time it is, since it's always night here... Ack, my stomach growled... That's embarrassing...

"Hm... I suppose it's about time to eat, isn't it?" Victor-san says with a smile, acting as if he heard nothing... "I'll treat you both to dinner."

"Ah... Thank you." Wow... Victor-san seems like a real gentleman. He leads us down to the pub, where we sit at a table. I was in a similar place just last night... I guess I should get used to boat trips though, with what happened to the Rheairds and all... Heh, I guess it's a good thing I don't get seasick.

This one seems to be more of an open bar... "What would you like to eat?" the demon asks.

"Hm... What about some curry?" I suggest. Suzu-chan hates curry, but... I like it.

"I think curry sounds like a good idea," Rota-san says.

"Agreed. I'll order three bowls of curry and three glasses of water, then?"

"Okay!"

"Yes, please."

Victor-san heads over to the counter to do that; I set Nanashi-san down on the table.

"Curry... How does that taste?" Nanashi-san asks.

"Well, it's spicy... Most people put chicken in it."

"Chicken... I wonder how that tastes..."

"Um..."

"One of the valkyries once said that everything tastes like chicken..." Rota-san says.

"R-really? Chicken must taste really weird..."

"Chicken tastes good, actually... It's my favorite meat."

Victor-san returns with our food on a tray. He sets it down and passes it out... He really _is_ a gentleman. We thank him and start eating in silence for a moment.

"Is it good?" Nanashi-san asks after we've all had a minute to eat.

"Yep! Really good!"

"I wish I could eat... I wanna know how it tastes..." Nanashi-san...

"Do you ever get hungry?" Victor-san asks.

"Of course not! I can't even eat, so there's no reason to get hungry! Doesn't stop me from being curious, though!"

"How interesting... Be careful about that curiosity, though—they say curiosity killed the cat."

"I think that'd be a little harder in my case," the glasses argue. "But I think it's better to be curious and learn new things than to not know anything about this world!"

"Yes, I'd have to agree."

"Yes... There's a lot to learn when you explore for yourself," Rota-san agrees.

"Yeah, definitely!" Everyone falls silent as we continue eating. Rota-san and Victor-san are really good people... I'm glad they were the ones that found me!

I'm really glad for all of my friends... Heh, if Ritos-san hadn't been following me and Suzu-chan, I don't know how we would've gotten away from those guards. And Dhaos-san... he saved us when we were supposed to save him...

...Why do I keep getting saved so much...? I need to get stronger, so I can help people... People like Mark-san...

_"Care for your people."_ Ritos-san answered that... when Cless-san asked...

"Victor-san, Rota-san... What do you think it takes to be a king?"

"A king...?"

"Hm... Perhaps a king should help his people, even at the cost of his life," Victor-san suggests with a smile.

"Eh?"

"Or perhaps not. Either way, I doubt it's easy to be a king. Everyone must trust you, yet you can trust no one..."

"I'm not sure that's true... If you trusted no one, then there wouldn't be alliances." I'm an ambassador, after all...

"Are you sure about that?"

"Um..."

"I think trust is important," Rota-san speaks up, "and the ability to lead, no matter what situation. A king can never give up on those under him."

"Yeah, you're right... Still, that makes me worry about Cless-san..."

"You mentioned Cless earlier... That's the human king, correct?" the demon questions. "You sound like you know him..."

"Yep! He's my brother's best friend! We grew up together in Miguel. He was also one of my companions on my previous journey!"

"When you fought the gods of Aselia?"

"Yep!"

"I thought he looked like a hero type. I saw him when I was in Alvanista once... He was wearing a sword, cape, and headband."

"Heh heh, that's Cless-san all right. Sometimes I wonder if he ever takes that headband off," I joke.

"I suppose it's his signature item. Much like the winged accessories the valkyries wear."

"My circlet is a signature item...?"

"And the large hat that Dad wears! I bet he's wearing it now," I add.

"So then... I guess I'm becoming a signature item for Ami!" Nanashi-san says.

"Eh?"

"Yes... I've yet to see you two apart," Rota-san says.

"A talking signature item... Quite a rarity indeed. I would've guessed such a thing would be a weapon, not a pair of glasses."

"Why a weapon...?" I ask the demon.

"Hm... Well, there's a tales in Niflheim about a bloodthirsty spear. He and his brother—a sword—were forged by a powerful blacksmith... The sword eventually found himself in the hands of a worthy owner, and together, they destroyed the spear."

"Wow..."

"The valkyries have a similar tale... but the moral is bonding with your weapon to better succeed in battle," Rota-san says.

"We're arriving at South Morlia Port," the captain of the ship announces. "Those headed for Olive, please stay on, as we'll be leaving again shortly."

"We better not miss our stop," Victor-san suggests as he stands. I put Nanashi-san back in my pocket, and we head up to the deck. This port looks kinda deserted, actually... The ship docks, and we get off. Morlia's northeast of here, right? And Heimdall's to the west... I wonder if the others are there yet... We start walking through the field, away from the port. It's pretty late... I guess we'll probably be spending the night at either the elf or ninja village.

Victor-san and Rota-san pull out their weapons—I make my hammer appear and look—there's the monsters... Two bird demons. Victor-san and I rush forward to each take one.

"Pow Hammer!" I stun mine before whacking it with my hammer. It yelps out in pain—ack, it hit me with a gust of wind...!

"Loki-chan!" The wolf appears, tackling my bird and biting it—he then disappears. The bird's still alive, but it looks a lot weaker now. I hit it again—and it falls, dead now. All right! I turn to see how Victor-san's doing.

"Frigid Blade!" His bouncy ball turns into an ice sword, and he swiftly slashes through the bird—wow... The sword disappears, and he smiles at us. "That wasn't too bad."

"Good job, everyone!" Nanashi-san says.

"Thank you!"

"Shall we move on?" the demon asks.

"Yeah!" We continue walking—Heimdall's just a little farther, past these mountains. And who knows, maybe Onii-chan's still there! I start running forward, excited. "Let's hurry, so we get there before nightfall!" I call back. The others exchange glances before running after me. Heh heh, I hope everyone's there!

**Victor received the title of Dark Gentleman. A demonic gentleman who enjoys the darkness... There's a certain elegance to such a man.**

**Nanashi received the title of Lonely Darkness. Darkness is quite lonely... I much prefer the light.**

**Ami and Rota received the title of Wolf Lover. The way they look, their soft fur, that howl in the night... What is there not to love?**


	12. C09: Violent Girl

**Okay, finally got another chapter up! Poor Ritos... at least he can heal.**

**Anyway, please welcome Meri! ...For real this time. Oh, and Cemori! Though she doesn't get to stay in long.**

**(And soon I shall have pictures of teenage Ami (with Nanashi), Meri, and Rota. Once Starry-chan is able to finish the last ones, scan them, and clean them up. I'm excited~)**

**Well, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**-Chapter 09: Violent Girl-**

We reach Ymir, where there are guards waiting. And also waiting here—

"Suzu-chan! Dhaos-san! Ritos-san!" I run over to them. After all that running, I'm a little out of breath now... But I'm glad that they're here!

"Hey Ami! We thought you'd come here," Ritos-san says.

"Are you all right?" Suzu-chan asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine! I'm glad to see you're all okay!"

"Nanashi, why did you warp?" questions Dhaos-san.

"I didn't mean to... I just wanted to save Ami, and... it happened."

"It's all right. I was able to meet Victor-san and Rota-san because of that!" I tell my friends. "Oh, and Loki-san and Tenebrae-san!"

"Then you must be Rota," Ritos-san greets as he walks over to go her. "My name's Ritos Maliott... If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask~!"

"Ah... Thank you..."

"Now now, there's nothing to worry about! I'm not going to hurt you or anything."

"Rota's a little shy," Victor-san explains.

"That's okay. It's really cute~!"

Poor Rota-san... Ritos-san really _does_ flirt with every woman...

"Ami," Dhaos-san says quietly. I turn to him. "Rota's one of the valkyries we saw in the past, correct?"

"That's right."

"And this man?"

"That's Victor-san. He's a demon, but he's good. He's a real gentleman, actually!"

"What about the other two you mentioned?"

"Loki-san is one of Rota-san's summons, and Tenebrae-san is a Centurion!"

"A Centurion...? Like the one Nanashi mentioned earlier?"

"Yep! The exact one I was talking about!" Nanashi-san speaks up. "Apparently there are eight—one for each element. The summon spirit Ratatosk isn't at his full power unless he has all eight of them."

Come to think of it, the elves look a little tense about Victor-san being here... He walks over—he must've noticed as well.

"Let me guess—you don't want me to enter since I'm a demon," he says with a smile.

"Correct."

"My name is Victor Andskot. I'm a friend of Keden Vener." Eh...? Keden...san?

The elves exchange surprised looks. They then turn back to the demon, their stubborn frowns back. "Keden was taken by one of your kind. Perhaps because of his association with you."

"Taken...? By who?"

"Hades."

Hades... His name keeps coming up, but... I don't even know how he looks...

"This is a predicament indeed... I doubt he was taken because of me, though—it was probably because of his research. Did he leave anything behind? If I know why he was taken, then maybe I can help him."

"Everything he left was taken by his grandson, who went searching for him."

"His grandson? Talif, correct?"

"That's right."

"Do you know where he went?"

The elves glare at Victor-san. "Even if we did, we wouldn't tell a demon like you."

Victor-san sighs. "Discrimination at its best... I'm glad Keden's an exception, at least." He turns to use. "It seems I'll have to wait here."

"We can't just leave you here..."

"I'll be fine. I'm used to camping. If you don't mind, would you mind seeing Keden's family for me?"

"Ah... We will."

"Thank you," he says, his normal smile back. He glances around, before noticing some cliffs. "There's some good cover over there, so that's where I'll be."

"Okay."

He walks away, and the elves turn to Rota-san next. "She also seems different, but..."

"I'm a valkyrie," Rota-san tells them.

The elves exchange surprised glances. "A valkyrie...?"

"Please allow me to enter..."

One of the elves nods. "We would be dishonoring our god if we did not let you through. You may pass." I guess they don't realize that Heimdall's a girl... Well, either way, they let the rest of us enter now.

"Wow, what's this place?" Nanashi-san asks.

"This is Ymir Forest... We have to cross these bridges to reach the elf village," Suzu-chan explains. We let Suzu-chan take the lead on this—her village is in Treantwood, the forest past the elf village.

We head straight, then left... I don't see any monsters in here—I guess the elf guards are working even harder to protect his area now that the demons are becoming more active... This Hades is really creating a problem for everyone...

"So Rota, if you don't mind me asking, do you have a boyfriend?" Ritos-san questions.

"N-no... but..."

"But?"

"There's... someone I like..."

"'Someone'...?"

Rota-san's... in love?

"Who is it?" I ask. I want to help her if I can!

"U-um, well..."

"You like Victor, don't you..." Ritos-san says.

"Ah..." Rota-san's face is completely red. Ritos-san is right... Heh heh...

"Don't worry, Rota-san! We'll help you out with him!" I tell her.

"Ah... T-thank you... but... I'll be fine..." The valkyrie smiles. "As long as I can help him... as long as he needs me... I'm happy."

Rota-san... "You really care about him..." She's really strong... "I hope your feelings reach him!"

"Thank you..." She glances back. She must be worried about Victor-san...

"Why don't you go see him?" I suggest.

"No, it's fine... He trusts me, so... I want to find out what happened to his friend for him..."

Victor-san and Rota-san must know each other pretty well...

We reach the elf village. There are even more guards here... They're taking the security here pretty seriously. The chief comes to greet us. He's an elder man with long, blond hair.

"Welcome," he greets. "You're Cless' ambassadors, are you not?"

"Yes, we are," I say.

"And you... I met you when you were a little younger. You're Chester's sister."

"That's me. Is my brother here?"

"He was here yesterday to ask about Yggdrasil," the chief says, kind of curtly. "He and Klarth visited the half-demon we're holding..."

Half-demon...?

"What happened?" Dhaos-san asks.

"The half-demon became furious at Chester when he said his name. Still, for some reason, he wants to help her... He left to continue his search, though he said he'd look for a missing elf as well."

A missing elf... That must be Keden-san... "Do you know where he went?"

"No."

"Then can we speak to this half-demon? And the elf's family—we'd like to know what's going on with him, too," Ritos-san speaks up.

The chief nods. "His family's in that house." He nods to a house on the left. He then leads us to a shed with a guard standing outside of it. He unlocks the door, and my group enters.

Wait, that's...! "Marty-san!" She looks up at me. She's sitting against the wall, her red hair now hanging down with a few small braids scattered throughout it. Her clothes are different as well—now she's wearing a cute red shirt, with a square neck and slits in the sleeves; both are bordered in a darker red. Near the bottom of it, it splits into a V-shaped tail on either side, leaving her belly button showing. She's also wearing a red skirt, with some shorts on underneath. She has a brown leather belt tied hanging around her waist, which ties in the center. It looks to hold something on either side... On her feet is a pair of brown boots.

"Why hello there... You must be Marty. My name is Ritos Maliott. If you need some help getting out of here, I'd be glad to be of assistance~!"

The girl blinks, staring at him. She then stands, scowling. "I don't need the help of a pervert who hits on everything with two legs and breasts," she snaps. "And I'm not Marty—Marty's my sister."

...Eh?

"I'm Meri. Meri Skolos."

"Are you... twins?"

"Triplets. Me, Marty, and Mark."

Triplets...? Wow... "I-it's nice to meet you, Meri-san—"

"Drop the 'san'! It's just Meri, sheesh."

"Ah..." I can't help but feel like I made her mad somehow... "Then it's nice to meet you, Meri. I'm Ami..."

"So you have a twin sister, huh... I hope she's not as cold as you are," Ritos-san says.

"Hey, pervert! Leave my sister the hell alone!"

"Okay, first of all, stop calling me that! And second, I just want to talk to her!"

"Yeah, so you can hit on her! I know how guys like you work!"

"You don't know a damn thing about me!"

"I've seen enough! And if you get anywhere near my sister, I'll make you wish you'd never been born!"

"And how do you plan on doing that while being held captive here? Sorry, but I think you lost any intimidation you might have—ow!" Meri stomped on Ritos-san's foot...

"Ritos-san, Meri—"

"What the hell was that for?"

"You're being rude!"

It's like... I'm not even here...

"_I'm_ being rude? You're the one who keeps assuming things about me!"

"And you're the one who tried to hit on me only seconds after entering! I'm not going to join your little harem!"

"Hey, these are my companions!"

"Then why are they all girls?"

"What? Dhaos-sama's a guy!"

"Wait, huh?" She looks over at us. "Ack, I saw the long hair and... sorry!"

Dhaos-san sighs. "They remind me of two people..."

"They do..." Suzu-chan agrees.

"Yeah..."

"What are you talking about?" Ritos-san asks us, annoyed.

"It's... it's nothing." They really remind me of Onii-chan and Arche-san... Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if they also bickered when they first met each other. "Anyway, this is Dhaos-san, Suzu-chan, and Rota-san." They said to wait on introducing Nanashi-san, so...

"Nice to meet you. So I take it you've met my sister?" She leans against the wall.

"Um... not exactly... I saw Marty-san and Mark-san in a vision," I explain. "And I met Seth-san in—"

"Hold on, stop. Could you drop the 'san' on all of our names? Seth's, too... I know they won't mind."

"Ah... Okay..."

"So where are they?"

"Seth-sa—I mean, Seth was in the Cavern of Spirits when we saw him, but he was alone. He said that he had a few places to check for you..."

"What about Mark?"

"I'm not sure... The vision I saw of Mark and Marty was before we met Seth, and that was also in the Cavern of Spirits." It feels kind of strange not using honorifics on their name, but... it's also kind of nice... like I'm already their friend.

"Dammit... I just know he's in trouble somewhere..."

"Do you have any idea where he could be? If we know where to look, then..."

"Knowing that idiot, he's probably lost in Valhalla or stuck in the Limestone Cave."

The door opens—it's the chief. "Have you asked what you need?"

"Ah, not quite! We'll hurry up!" I say; he nods and exits. I then turn back to Meri. "My brother and father were here the other day..."

Meri sighs. "Chester Barklight, right? Yeah, he was here." She sounds annoyed...

"What happened...? The chief said that you were angry..."

"I hate that guy."

Eh...? "You hate Onii-chan? Why...?"

"Does it matter why? I just hate him!"

Ah... Meri-san seems really angry...

"I need to get out of here and find Mark before _he_ does..."

"We should go. For all we know, she's one of Hades' people," Ritos-san says.

"But—"

An empty bucket hits Ritos in the head—

"Ritos-san!"

"You...!" Meri sounds furious now... "How dare you even suggest that! Hades has taken a lot from my family, and I won't rest 'til he pays with interest!"

"Meri..."

The chief opens the door again. "What's going on in here?"

Ah... I need to do something... Oh, I've got it! I turn to the chief. "I could like to take this girl to Alvanista, where she can be tried by Cless-san." She doesn't really need a trial... I can tell.

The chief considers my request. "Alvanista would be a better place to hold her..." He observes our group.

"Sir," Rota-san speaks up, "I am a valkyrie; I specialize in dealing with demons. Please leave this matter in our hands."

The man slowly nods. "I could sense that you are from the Spirit Realm... Fine."

"Thank you."

"Did she have any possessions?" Suzu-chan questions. "I can take those."

"Just a pair of bladed tonfas..." The guard comes in and hands the weapons to Suzu-chan.

"We'll take it from here, then."

"Very well. Just be careful." The chief and the guard leave.

"Suzu-chan, Rota-san, thank you," I say to them.

"Yeah... thanks, all of you," Meri agrees. "Ritos... sorry. For throwing the bucket..."

He blinks and stares at her, looking a little surprised. He then turns away from her. "And what about stomping on my foot?"

"Be lucky I'm apologizing to a pervert like you."

"Fine, whatever. Let's just go." He starts walking out. "Geez, this is why I don't like violent girls..."

"We should see Keden's family," Dhaos-san suggests.

"Right." We follow Ritos-san out and walk over to the house the chief pointed out. He knocks, and we wait in silence for a moment.

The door opens—a teenage girl is standing there. She has light blue hair tied up in a ponytail and turquoise eyes... which are glaring at us... "What do you want?" she demands curtly.

"Hello, we're ambassadors... We're going to try and help find Keden Vener, so we were wondering if you could help us..."

The girl sighs. "Of course, Grandfather's case is bringing all the freaks in..."

Her grandfather...?

"The guards also said that his grandson went looking for him," Suzu-chan speaks up. "I assume he's your brother."

"Yeah... Look, my grandfather's used to dangerous things, but Talif isn't... He's a kid..."

"We're going to look for him, too," I assure her. "If there's anything you can tell us, like where we might look..."

She glares at us untrustingly. "Why is that half-demon with you?"

"Ah, we're taking her back to the capital," I explain.

She doesn't seem to believe us...

"Please allow me to help your family. I'm a valkyrie; I'm trained in dealing with demons," Rota-san speaks up.

"Valkyries are emissaries of the gods, right?" the elf asks.

"That's right..."

The elf studies Rota-san, thinking. After a moment, she sighs and gives in. "Look, I don't really know much... Grandfather brought some weird glowing thing back, but I don't know what he did with it."

"Weird glowing thing...?"

"I didn't get a good look at it. It had a blood-red glow, though... It was kinda creepy. It also had very strong mana... like it was alive."

"Was it a sphere?" Rota-san asks.

"I think so."

"Ah, it must've been a Centurion, then!" I speak up.

"Yes... If it was red, then it's probably Ignis, the Centurion of fire."

"Centurions...?" Meri asks.

"They're really cool creatures that serve the summon spirit Ratatosk!" Nanashi-san explains.

"I don't really know anything about that, but Grandfather got taken because of them..."

And now her brother's... I can understand—Onii-chan also left home and could be in danger... "What about your brother?" I ask.

"He took some of our grandfather's notes, including a weapon that he made, and headed out to find Grandfather."

"Where would he have gone?"

"Well, last I checked, he was confused by Grandfather's notes... so he probably went to find out more about them first."

"Then we'll find him at the biggest well-known library," Ritos-san concludes.

"It's likely he could be in Alvanista or New Midgard, then," Suzu-chan suggests.

"We should talk to Victor-san and figure out where to go next... Between the Centurions, Onii-chan, Mark, and Talif, we have a lot to look for..."

"If that's all, you should go," the elf girl says. "If you find Talif, tell him to come home..."

"We will. What's your name?"

"...Cemori. Cemori Vener."

"I'm Ami Barklight. I promise, we'll find your brother!"

Cemori-san pauses, seeming unsure. She then turns and closes the door without a word.

"Wow, you didn't hit on her. I'm surprised," Meri says to Ritos-san.

"Shut up. You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough."

"Whatever! We need to talk to that Victor guy now, right? Let's get going." Ritos-san seems really... mad... We head out of the elf village and back through Ymir. I haven't seen Tenebrae-san yet... I wonder if he's having troubles finding Ratatosk-san...

"Hey, Meri," Ritos-san speaks up.

"What?"

"You're a half-demon, right?"

"Yeah."

"What's your other half?"

"Why is that any of your business?" she challenges.

"Fine, then... Your last name. What is it again?"

"Skolos. Why?"

"Skolos... That sounds very... angelic."

"Eh? Really?" I ask.

"'Los' is a word in ancient angelic," Dhaos-san explains.

"Really? Probably just a coincidence. I'm full Aselian," Meri says nonchalantly. "As for my other half, it's elf. I already get enough hell for being half demon, so could you drop the subject now?"

"Fine..."

We continue walking in silence for a minute.

"So... are you gonna tell me about the pair of glasses any time soon?" Meri speaks up.

"Eh?"

"I can sense some strange mana coming from them."

"Oh, I'm Nanashi! It's nice to meetcha!"

"...Is it... talking?"

"Yep!" I answer. "Nanashi-san's a friend of ours. He can do some really neat things!"

"He's... not a ghost... right...?" she asks, sounding a little nervous...

"...Are you scared of ghosts?" Ritos-san asks.

"Of course not! I just want to know!"

"Hm... A ghost... Maybe?" Nanashi-san says. "I don't really know what I am, so that's possible..."

"Eh?" A... ghost?

"Ah..." Meri's face looks a little white.

"You're really scared of ghosts..." Ritos-san mutters.

"Shut up! I am not!"

"And what if Nanashi actually _is_ a ghost?"

"D-don't say stupid things like that...!"

"But he said himself that he might be!"

"He's not!" Meri yells.

"Why not?"

"He's just not!"

"Oh yeah, _real_ good reason there."

"I'm... probably not a ghost..." Nanashi-san speaks up.

"See?"

"Hm... I could be some sort of spirit fixed to these glasses."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Meri demands.

"So he's a ghost. Good job, Meri, you solved the great mystery of Nanashi!" Ritos-san says teasingly. They really remind me of Onii-chan and Arche-san...

"S-shut up! He's not a ghost! He's a machine or... or something!"

"Hm... I wonder how Nanashi died..." Ah... R-Ritos-san...

"I-I said he's not a ghost...! He didn't die!" Meri argues.

"It must've been pretty tragic for his soul to hang around like this. Maybe he's out to curse people or take revenge for his death!" the angel continues.

"You...! Shut...! Up...!" Meri yells, whacking him with each word.

"Ow, hey! Why are you hitting me?"

"...You were asking for that," Dhaos-san points out.

"I was not!"

"We've reached the exit," Suzu-chan suddenly speaks up. Ah, she's right! I hadn't even noticed... I walk a little quicker to get out of the forest. Ritos-san saying that stuff in such a dark place was a little creepy...

We head over to where Victor-san said he'd be waiting. I don't see him ye—oh, there he is! He blends in with the darkness surprisingly well... Scarily well, actually... R-right, I know he's not a ghost... Ahh, Ritos-san, why did you have to talk about ghosts like that...

"Welcome back," Victor-san greets with a smile. "Did we gain a new party member?"

"Unfortunately," Ritos-san mutters. He gets elbowed in the ribs for it.

"We talked to Keden-san's family," Rota-san explains. "Cemori-san, his granddaughter, said that her brother has gone to research Keden-san's notes so he can find him."

"Hm... Most of the research Keden and I did was in New Midgard," says the demon. "Would it be all right if we went there next? We can stop by the Tower of the Zodiac on the way—there should be a Centurion there."

"I need to look for Mark, so I'm up for going anywhere," Meri speaks up.

"I need to look for a lot of people... so New Midgard would probably be a good way to go," I agree.

"If Chester-san and Klarth-san are looking for Yggdrasil, then they might check the Tower of the Zodiac," Suzu-chan points out.

"Oh, good point! All right, let's head there first thing in the morning!"

"Agreed. I suppose we should camp here tonight, then," Victor-san suggests.

"Yep!" We start settling down. It's late, so we don't even bother with a fire. It seems that no one's really that hungry...

I'm pretty tired, actually... I slept in the middle of the day, but... still...

Maybe tomorrow I'll find Onii-chan...

**Rota received the title of Emissary of the Gods. Valkyries get special recognition, even by the elves.**

**Meri received the title of Violent Girl. It's a title given by Ritos for all the bruises he's gotten in less than an hour.**

**Ritos received the title of Rude Punching Bag. First a stomp, then a bucket, then a few whacks... Though he did ask for most of those hits.**

**Nanashi received the title of Maybe a Ghost? Nanashi's existence has turned into a great mystery...**

**Meri joined the party.**


	13. C10: Musical Memory

**For those wondering, the arte Meri uses is one of Sophie's artes. My favorite arte of hers, actually. I'll probably draw Meri's artes from a lot of different places, since the only Tales tonfa user is strictly a spell caster. ...Though I love him anyway. Go Mao!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! And please welcome Mark (for good) and Lumen (though he'll be more of an intro and full description next chapter). Lumen is made by Kazea.**

**Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. Don't own the awesome Tales series. Though one day I shall join Namdai!**

**-Chapter 10: Musical Memory-**

Un... Is it morning already...? I open my eyes—it's pretty bright... And something smells really good...

"Morning, Ami!" Ritos-san greets.

"Good morning," I say as I sit up. Looks like everyone's up... Wait, Meri's still asleep...

"Breakfast is almost ready," Rota-san speaks up.

"I suppose someone should wake Meri up, then," the demon suggests.

"Right." I push myself up and walk over to the half-demon. I kneel down next to her and nudge her. "Meri, it's time to wake up..." It doesn't seem to be working... I nudge her again—and she just rolls over... "She doesn't seem to be waking..."

"That's fine. The longer she sleeps, the more peace we have."

"But Ritos-san..."

"Allow me to try," Victor-san offers. He walks over and pinches her nose. After a moment, she jolts awake—he lets go.

"W-what the hell...?" Meri gasps as she sits up. Ritos-san is laughing...

"Good morning," the demon greets with a smile.

"What was that for...?"

"I had to wake you up somehow."

"Not like that! And Ritos, stop laughing!" In response, the angel only laughs harder...

"What'd I miss?" Nanashi-san suddenly speaks up.

"Ah... Victor-san just woke up Meri... Were you in your database?"

"Yeah. Figured I should try to get more information if I could while you guys slept. Speaking of, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Breakfast is ready," the valkyrie says. She passes out plates with waffles and sausage on them, and we begin eating. Wow, this is really good! Everyone else seems to be enjoying it as well. Meri still looks really sleepy, and Ritos-san has stopped laughing... but he still looks quite amused.

"I assume your demonic element is darkness," Victor-san says to Meri as we eat. "Most dark elemental demons have troubles waking up in the morning. On the other hand, though, most light elemental demons get tired earlier in the evening."

"What are you, then?" Dhaos-san asks.

"My element is darkness. I've learned to wake up early, though."

"Do many demons have elements?" questions Suzu-chan.

"Hm... I would say the elemental distribution is pretty even, with one possibility being 'no element'," the demon explains with a smile. "Plus it's quite possible for a demon to end up with multiple elemental attributes. Though some species of demons can only be a few elements."

"What about Hades? Is there anything you can tell us about him?"

"Hades is a demon lord from Niflheim. He's not to be trifled with."

"He's creating problems for people, though," I point out. "He might attack us..."

"I'm afraid there's little I can tell you," Victor-san says. "Demon lords gain their status by being the strongest demon in the area. Only other strong demons can even approach them without being killed."

"So why would a demon lord be in Aselia?" Ritos-san asks.

"Hm... Perhaps he wants to expand his border, or perhaps he just wants to escape Niflheim. It's not exactly a nice place to live. The mist there could kill a human within a very painful hour. But it has effects on demons, too—it can turn demons insane."

"You sure know a lot about the daemonium..."

"Oh right, I told Ami and Nanashi, but not the rest of you. I'm from Niflheim."

"Why have you come to Aselia?" Suzu-chan speaks up.

"I'm trying to find a way to save a demon who's been turned insane."

"Eh...?"

"My little sister, Zira." He finishes eating and stands. "Well, we should head on," he says, smiling again.

"Right..." His little sister... We finish up, and Victor-san takes the plates. He puts them in a wing pack. He pulls out a map instead and holds it out to look at it. "Let's see... The fastest way is to go through this mountain range..."

"There's a pass through here," Rota-san says as she draws a finger through the mountain range.

"Then we'll go that way," Dhaos-san speaks up. He starts leading the way, and the rest of us follow.

"Oh yeah," Ritos-san suddenly breaks the silence. "Suzu met a demon that works for Hades when we got separated."

"Eh? You did?" I turn to her.

"Yes. A demon named Anjin Torii," she explains simply.

"Torii... I've heard that name before. They're a well-known samurai family in Niflheim," Victor-san says.

"Wait, he's a samurai?" the healer questions. "Why would a samurai save a ninja? Aren't they supposed to be mortal enemies or something?"

"He saved you?" I ask.

"Yes. He said that it would be dishonorable for him to leave me alone with the injuries I had."

"Wow... a real samurai..." Nanashi-san mutters. "Hey, if he's an enemy, does this mean we get to see a samurai and ninja dual at some point?"

"Oh, you're right! I guess so!" Ritos-san says happily.

"All right! I can't wait to see that! That'll be the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny!"

"Yeah, you're right! And our little ninja will definitely win!"

"Hm... A ninja and a samurai..." Meri thinks about this a minute. "You know, it'd be hilariously ironic if they fell for each other."

"Oh, that could also be interesting!" the glasses agree.

"No way! I think a battle would be far more interesting!"

"Don't you have any sense of romance?" the half-demon demands.

"Of course I do! I know how to be romantic quiet well!"

"Only when you're perving on girls!"

"Hey, I don't do that!"

And they're at it again... I glance to Suzu-chan, who's as quiet as always. "Suzu-chan..."

"Ah, Suzu! Sorry for coming up with things about you like that..." Nanashi-san says.

"It's fine. However, know that Torii-san is my enemy," she responds coldly. "That is all."

"So then... we'll get to see ninja versus samurai?"

"Only if he attacks."

"Sweet! I hope we meet him again soon!"

"Nanashi-san... Should you really be hoping for something like that...?" I ask.

"Ah... right, sorry!"

Victor-san chuckles. "Things really are lively..."

"And loud," Dhaos-san comments dryly. Speaking of, Ritos-san and Meri are still arguing... Heh, I don't really mind, though... I'm used to it. And it's kind of... refreshing. Ah, though maybe I shouldn't think that... They seem really mad, after all...

"Why are you searching for the Centurions?" Dhaos-san asks Victor-san. The demon explains about Ratatosk-san and all...

Oh right! "Nanashi," I say quietly as the others talk. "Did you find anything in your database last night?"

"No, but..."

"But...?"

"There's something bothering me..." he tells me, sounding troubled. "It's like there's something wrong, but I can't quite figure out what it is."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not even sure... I just know that something's out of place... Maybe my database is wrong? But it that's the case, then I can't be of much help to you..."

"Why do you think something's wrong...?"

"I can't find the triplets anywhere in my database... I know there are plenty of people not in it, but... I really think they should be in there..."

"Maybe they're deeper in it?"

"Yeah, probably... Sorry, I'm just worrying over nothing."

"You're fine," I tell him with a smile. "You'll probably find them as soon as you stop looking or something!"

"Heh, you're right. Why do things always happen like that, anyway? It really sucks."

"Heh heh, it does... But I guess it just goes to show how we shouldn't worry so much."

"Yep, definitely! Worrying holds people back!" Nanashi-san says, cheerful again.

"We've reached the pass," Rota-san speaks up. I glance up—wow, there really is a small path through the mountains here! She takes the lead, and we walk along the path. It's kinda narrow... Everyone's stopped talking—the others are looking around instead.

"I hate places like this..." Meri says softly.

"Eh? Why?" I ask.

"It's the perfect place for an ambush."

"Ah..." Now I glance around, too. I don't see any demons... but she's right...

There's a yell ahead—we exchange looks before taking off running to see what's going on. It wasn't that far ahead...

We reach a clearing in the pass—ah, Mark's there...! He has a stick, which he's using to try and defend himself from a few bugbears.

Meri runs forward—"Astral Belt...!" She slashes at one of the bugbears with her right tonfa, killing it.

"Demon Fist!"

"Pow Hammer!"

"Merciless Thunder!"

"Shadow Feint!"

The other two bugbears fall. Meri turns to her brother. "Mark!"

"Meri..." The boy coughs.

"Mark, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine..."

"First Aid!" Ritos-san heals him.

"Ah, thank you." Mark stares at our group, thinking.

"Hello," I greet. "I'm Ami Barklight!" I introduce the rest of the group as well.

"Nanashi...?"

"Hiya!"

"Who..."

"It's the pair of glasses," I explain.

"Ah..." He stares at the glasses, confused. He then smiles. "Well, it's nice to meet all of you. I'm Mark Skolos."

"It's nice to meet you!"

Meri stares at Mark. "...Are you sure you're okay?"

"I hit my head earlier, so I feel a little dizzy..."

"Hm..."

"It's a good thing we found you... Seth was worried," I tell him.

"You've met Seth?"

"Yeah. He wants to meet all of you in Alvanista."

"We still need to find Marty," Meri says. "Seth would probably kill us if we didn't..."

"Eh?"

"I think that's an exaggeration..." Mark mutters.

"Can you imagine his face if we didn't have Marty? That could be kinda funny, actually. He'd be so worried and have to rush to find her! Maybe he'd even get a search party! I'm sure he could with his diplomatic skills!"

"Wait... Are Seth and Marty an item?" Ritos-san asks.

"Not yet."

"So... she's not taken?"

"Hey, pervert! I told you to leave my sister the hell alone!"

"But you're fine with Seth!"

"He's our best friend! And he wouldn't ask her out unless he was sure he loved her!"

"That's not the point of dating!"

"Maybe not, but it's more romantic like that!"

"Meri, Ritos-san..."

"We should leave here quickly," Dhaos-san speaks up. "The demons in the area have no doubt heard your yelling by now."

"Ah..."

"Where are we going?" Mark asks.

"We're headed to the Tower of the Zodiac now," Victor-san explains. "The Centurion of light should be there. Would you like to come with us? You may find your remaining sister."

"Okay."

"No, Mark needs to go back to Alvanista. He's too sick to be traveling around like this," Meri says.

"I'll be fine, Meri. Besides, there's safety in numbers, right?"

Meri frowns, but she says nothing.

"Shall we continue, then?" the demon asks. "We should be out of here soon."

"Fine."

We continue walking. It's kinda dark and gloomy on this path...

"So Mark," Ritos-san says quietly. I can only hear because I'm close enough... "You're triplets with Meri and Marty, right?"

"That's right. I'm the youngest," replies our new companion.

"Have any dirt on Meri?"

"Eh?"

"Hey, Ritos!" Meri turns to him, glaring.

"Ah... You heard that?"

"Of course! I need to think up suitable punishment for you..."

"Punishment...? I'm the healer here, remember?"

"So you can heal yourself afterwards!"

"Dammit, Meri!"

"Where does the exit lead?" Dhaos-san suddenly asks.

"We'll be right across from the tower," answers the valkyrie. "Lumen should be at the top..."

"You said that Lumen is the Centurion of light, right?" Nanashi-san questions.

"Yes..."

"Does he glow?"

"I would guess so..."

"Maybe he's a firefly thing like we were talking about before!"

"He... could be..."

"Firefly thing...?" Mark asks.

"Yep! I want Rota to get a glowing demon summon in case we have to go somewhere dark again!"

"Can't you see in the dark?" Ritos-san asks.

"Not really..."

"Wait, so you can see mana and cracks in space-time, but you can't see in the dark?"

"I don't like the dark..."

"I guess if Nanashi was a demon, he'd be the light element," Victor-san suggests.

"We've reached the end," Suzu-chan alerts us. Ah, she's right! We continue walking out into the open. It's a little foggy here, actually... but I can see the Tower of the Zodiac. It isn't that far away! There's a river ahead, but there's a bridge leading across it—we continue walking. We cross another bridge. Come to think of it, I wasn't really in this area much... besides when we were in the country Odin, but... We didn't explore the area at all then. But we did go into the tower! That was a lot of fun. We split up into groups to find the way up faster... though Onii-chan said that the puzzles were different in that time than in the present.

"Have any of you been in the Tower of the Zodiac before?" Suzu-chan asks.

"I've seen a little bit about it in my database..."

"I went there for training once," Rota-san says.

"We haven't been there at all..." Meri says for herself and her brother.

"I haven't gone, either," Victor-san says with a smile. "I suppose this will be an adventure."

"It consists of a few music puzzles," Suzu-chan explains.

We've arrived at the base of the tower. It's really tall... though it seems a little smaller than it seemed in the past. That's probably just because I've grown... I walk forward and open the doors—ack, dust... We all cough a little and wait for the dust to settle. We then head inside.

The walls and floor are a dark brown, with a shining golden picture of two women on the ground. A nice, upbeat song is playing... There's a set of doors straight ahead—we walk through. We walk through the next room as well, up the stairs to the second level. Suzu-chan leads the way to the right and through the halls. At the very end, she enters a door and flips the switch—the song changes to a more... melancholy song.

"Interesting... So we just flip switches to certain songs?" Ritos-san questions.

"Yes. The tablet in the center room tells you which song. However, I still remember the order from last time we were here." Suzu-chan leads the way back down the hall, to the center room. We walk up the stairs, into the next room.

Eh...? The door to the next level closes, like someone just went through it...

Well, we follow Suzu-chan down the southern path this time. At the fork, we go right, and then into the second door. There, the ninja flips a switch—the song changes to a happy song. We walk back out to the center room and try the door—eh...? It's not opening...

"Is that the wrong one?" I ask.

"I'm positive that was the right one..."

"So why isn't it working...?"

"'Someone not Human sings,'" Meri speaks up, staring at the tablet in the center. "'A mirthful song is needed.'"

"But isn't this mirthful...?"

"Maybe there's a better one," Ritos-san suggests.

"Or maybe the puzzle's been tampered with," Victor-san says. "Either way, I suggest we split up. One person should stay here to check the door when the song changes."

"Good idea. Who should stay here, then?"

"Who has the best shouting voice?"

"Meri. Hands down," Ritos-san says bluntly—Meri elbows him in the ribs, making him jump. "Ow!"

"Can I pull the switches?" Mark asks.

"Okay," I tell him, smiling. It's weird... I was helping look for him, and I saw him in my vision, but... I haven't really talked to him much since we found him. Well, I guess we'll get to talk more once we safely reach New Midgard.

"Fine, I'll stay here. But only because I want some time without the pervert."

"You really need to stop calling me that."

"That, and I can't imagine half of you guys yelling for the life of you."

Heh, she's right... Dhaos-san and Suzu-chan are both quiet, and Rota-san's soft-spoken... Victor-san's voice is quite soft, too.

"Thank you, Meri," I tell her. I then turn to the others. "We should hurry and find the right switch, then. Which way?"

"This way." Dhaos-san leads the way. He looks kind of tired... I guess he's had enough of the arguing. We take the path to the left—next to the stairs that we came up. We try the first door—there's nothing in this room... We continue down the hall and try the second door. There's a statue! Mark runs over to the switch and flips it. The music changes to a serene song.

"It's open!" Meri's voice echoes through the halls. We run back to her—she's holding the door open for us. We all walk through and head up to the next level. Meri walks up to the next tablet and reads, "'Someone not Human sings. A serene song is needed.'"

Dhaos-san tries the door—it doesn't work.

"I guess we'll have to find another song..." Ritos-san mutters.

"I'll shout again," Meri offers as she leans against the tablet.

"Which way now?" I ask the others.

"The serene song is to the right," Suzu-chan speaks up.

"Then let's try down!" Nanashi suggests. We walk that way, soon reaching the fork. There, we walk left. The first door has nothing, so we walk to the second door... There's nothing there as well... We walk out of that room and head down past the fork—the first door there has a switch. Mark pulls it, and the happy song plays again. We step out—

"It's open!" Meri calls; we hurry back to her and through the door. This is working out really well! I wonder how many floors there are... We walk up the stairs to the next floor. The half-demon walks up to the tablet. "It says melancholy this time."

"That one's down and to the left, along with the mirthful song," the ninja tells us.

"How many songs are there?" Nanashi-san asks.

"Four."

"Hm... Then logically, there are two switches in the other three directions. Darn, that's not one I can guess so easily..."

"Heh heh, then let's go right, then," I suggest. Looking at the south passage, we walk right, and Meri waits by the door again. Neither door has switches in them... We head back to the main room, and then all the way across, to the room on the other side of the stairs. The first door has nothing—ah, but there's a switch in the other one! Mark pulls it—the serene song plays again. We step outside to see if Meri calls anything...

"Not that one! Keep trying!"

There's one switch left, right? We head back to the center room, then head down the south path. At the end, we take a right—the second door has a switch, which changes the song to the upbeat one we first heard.

"That's it! Come on!" our friend calls. We hurry over to her and walk up to the next level.

There's another tablet...

"Again?" Ritos-san mutters.

"This should be the last level," Dhaos-san says.

"It wants a gallant one... which I assume would be this one." Meri tries the door, but to no avail. "Dammit..."

We turn to Suzu-chan. "It's down the left path," she explains. "The other door down that path has nothing."

"Down's the most logical one to try first," Nanashi-san says.

"Right!" We walk down the southern path again. We take a right at the bottom, trying those two doors. There's a switch in the first one—it changes the tune to the melancholy song.

"Not that one!"

We head to the next door—ah, there's another switch! Mark flips it. Nothing... happens... Mark tries again, but... the song's not changing...

"Weird... is it broken?"

"Meri, try the door!" Ritos-san calls out.

"...It works!"

We exchange glances and run to find her. We head through the door and up the stairs—

There's a bright glow in the room—like a dome of light. I shield my eyes.

"Ah! Lumen, lower the barrier!" The dome of light disappears—wait, it's... another Mark...? I glance at the one next to us.

"Whoa. Meri, you don't have another brother that looks just like Mark... do you?" Ritos-san asks.

"No..." Meri's eyes narrow. "One's Mark... and the other is that damn fox, Sakris."

**Victor received the title of Valiant Older Brother. It's the title given to one who has a younger sister whom he's trying to save.**

**Suzu received the title of Musical Memory. She can remember exactly which songs were down which hallway.**

**Meri received the title of Half-Demon Megaphone. Need someone to yell? She's just the person!**

**Mark (?) joined the party.**


	14. C11: Protector of the Light

**Sorry for the wait! I hope you all enjoy this chapter~ Please welcome Sakris and Athena!**

**As mentioned in the previous chapter, Lumen was made (and designed) by Kazea. His art's up on the Teishi 2 website (as well as a few other Centurions). Lumen's lines were also done by Kazea in this chapter, and she will no doubt be helping me with the Centurions in future chapters as well. So, thank you for all the hard work you've put into the Centurions, Kazea!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales series. I do, however, own Sakris, Mark, and Athena. Kazea owns Lumen.**

**-Chapter 11: Protector of the Light-**

"One's Mark... and the other is that damn fox, Sakris."

We glance between the two Marks. The new one has made two friends—one's a fairy, and the other... that must be the Centurion of light... He actually looks a little bit like a large firefly, with one end glowing... His body is that of a bug, with large, purple eyes and tall brown antennas. His wings are made of light—they remind me more of butterfly wings, though... Either way, they're beautiful...

"Uh... guys?" Ritos-san speaks up. "I think I found the imposter." We turn to him—the first 'Mark' is holding the angel's right arm behind his back and a dagger to his throat.

"Ritos-san...!"

"Ritos!"

"Don't move," the imposter says.

"Dammit, this so isn't right..." the healer mutters.

"What's wrong? I thought you were the type who'd like a woman's touch." As the demon talks, its form changes into that of a young woman. She has short, reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. She's wearing a long, teal jacket with matching pants on underneath.

"What the hell...?"

"Let him go," Suzu-chan says.

"I will soon," the woman replies, grinning. She leans down and—bites Ritos-san's shoulder...?

"Ah...!"

She pulls up, licking the blood off of her lips. "You don't taste half bad. I guess I'll have to add angels to the menu."

"I'm not food...!" Ritos-san takes the moment to grab the hand her dagger's in—

"Pow Hammer!" I stun the demon, giving Ritos-san enough time to pull away. He backs up, summoning his spear. I pull out my hammer.

"Thanks, Ami..."

"Dammit... You're going down, Sakris...!" Meri charges forward, swinging her right tonfa at the demon—"Astral Belt!" The woman blocks—she has a pair of arm guards on. She then kicks Meri—

"Meri!"

Suzu-chan rushes forward—she slashes at the demon, who barely moves—wait, she got grazed! I run forward and try to hit her as well—she jumps to the side—ah...! Ow, her kicks really hurt...

"Shadow Rush!"

"Ami! Are you okay?" Nanashi-san asks.

"I'm fine..." I push myself up.

"First Aid!" Ritos-san calls out. That feels better...

"Thanks!" I call over to him. I use Coil and then hurry to attack with Suzu-chan, Meri, and Victor-san. She dodges—this woman's fast...! She flips back, landing on her feet—

"Come, Loki-chan!" The wolf appears behind our enemy, tackling her to the ground. All right...!

Eh? She changes to look like Rota-san...! Loki-san stalls—she blasts him away—

"Loki-chan!" the real Rota-san screams out, scared. The wolf disappears...

"Dhaos, stop casting. Everyone, I think it'd be better for us to withdraw from this fight," Victor-san speaks up.

"No way! I'm going to make her pay for impersonating my brother!"

"Meri..." Mark coughs from behind us. "Please... stop... I thought I was going to lose you once already..."

Meri pauses, thinking. "Dammit, fine! But you better have a way of getting us out of here!"

"Lumen..."

Eh...? There's a barrier of light separating us from the shapeshifter now...

The woman changes back to her previous form—I'm guessing that's her usual form... She strikes the barrier, but doesn't get through. "Hm... Pretty impressive. But don't expect to have a barrier to save you next time." She smirks, watching Meri and Mark. "No matter what you try... Remember that we will win in the end. Perhaps it would be easiest if you accepted that fact, like your father did." She turns and walks out of the room.

Their father...?

"Damn you...!" Meri yells as she runs forward—Mark grabs her arm.

"Meri...!"

"Cool down. Geez, with a temper problem like that, it's amazing you're still alive," Ritos-san says. "First Aid..." He heals Suzu-chan.

"Shut up!"

The barrier lowers... Luckily, Meri doesn't try to chase Sakris.

"So, you're the real Mark, then?" Dhaos-san questions.

"That's right..." he coughs and then smiles. "It's nice to meet all of you! Oh, and these are some friends I made here! This is Lumen, and this is Athena!"

Lumen-san is the Centurion... and Athena-san's the fairy. She's really small... like the fairies I saw on my last journey. She has long, blonde hair, and she's wearing a cute yellow and green gown.

"Ami Ami!" Nanashi-san yells out. "It's a Centurion firefly! I was right! That's so cool!"

_"Greetings to you all,"_ the Centurion says as he bows his head. _"I am Lumen, servant of Ratatosk and Centurion of Light. It's a pleasure to meet friends of young Master Mark."_ Wait, is he really even talking...? It feels more like... it's in my mind...

"M-master...?" Ah, but Mark also heard it...

Athena-san frowns, looking all of us over. "How do we know they're not in league with fox-lady? I mean, look at them! They have a demon, a temperamental half-demon, and two weird things."

"I'm a half-demon, too..." Meri's brother points out.

"But you're different!"

"We also have a valkyrie, if that makes you feel better," Victor-san offers, smiling.

The fairy pouts. "It'd make me feel better if she did something about you..."

"I guess we should introduce ourselves, then," Ritos-san speaks up.

"Hey, Ritos! Aren't you going to heal me?" demands the half-demon girl.

"I'm Ritos, this cutie's Ami, the lovely ninja is Suzu, the charming valkyrie is Rota... then that's Dhaos-sama, Victor, and the pair of glasses is Nanashi. Oh, and the idiot's Meri—ow!" She hit him over the head...

"_You're_ the idiot..."

"Lumen," Victor-san speaks up. "How did you awaken?"

_"Well... To be truthful, I am not quite certain of that myself,"_ Lumen-san answers. _"It takes a lot of will to awaken us from our dormant core form, let alone enough for us to manifest."_ He turns to Mark and gently continues, _"You were the first person I discovered here. Do you know how it happened, or whom I may thank for the summoning?"_

The boy in question tilts his head, confused. "Um, well... I found something that looked like a yellow flower bud, but it felt weak... so I tried to give it some mana, and... then you appeared..."

_"I see."_ Lumen-san pauses a moment, then says, _"Well, I thank you for your kindness and I apologize if my dormant state negatively affected you in any way. We Centurions are quite dangerous in that form."_ He bows his head again. Wow... Lumen-san is really polite...

"I'm fine," Mark says with a small cough. He then smiles. "No different from usual, really."

"Have you taken your medicine recently?" Meri asks.

"Um... I... I think I dropped it..."

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you..."

"Excuse me, Lumen..." the valkyrie steps forward. "My name is Rota Gunnr... I am a summoner who is looking for all of the Centurions, so that I might awaken and form a pact with Ratatosk. I would like to request your assistance..."

_"A pact with Lord Ratatosk?"_ the Centurion asks, taken aback. _"My, that is a surprise. Would it be too troublesome to ask why you seek to do this? My Lord and brethren have not seen the world for many a millennia, so my mind too is hazy and out of the reach of common insight. Forgive me."_ He flicks his antennae down apologetically.

"Ratatosk is the guardian of the seal to Niflheim... I know that most people hate demons, but... not all demons are bad. And there are kind ones that are being turned insane by the mist in the daemonium... I want to do what I can to help... I want everyone to be happy..."

Lumen-san listens intently, his wings flapping effortlessly. _"...You have a kind heart, young one. I can feel your inner light beckon to the powers I have to offer. I believe you... However,"_ he says, staring at her very sincerely, _"what you must understand is that we as servants of Ratatosk cannot do anything to endanger the world before the gate. Do you know of what I speak?"_

"Yes... I do not wish to endanger the world. As a valkyrie, it is my duty to protect this world... the gods entrusted us with that last duty. As much as I want everyone to be happy... I am well aware that some demons truly are dangerous. If there is a way to save the kind ones, the ones that won't hurt this world or the people of it, then..." She stares down sadly. "Though, I suppose I'm being too idealistic..."

Lumen-san flies down to the valkyrie. _"There are as many good demons are there are bad humans. We all have light and darkness. It is the amount of both we chose to draw on that makes anyone defined as someone idealistic or someone without morals. I believe in your ideals, Lady Rota. I would be honored to lend you my ability as in aid in your quest." _He closes his eyes, looking kind of... happy. _"Just remember. All eight of us must be gathered to truly bring power back to our Lord. Some of them aren't as eager to assist as I, or as sympathetic."_

"Thank you, Lumen..." Rota-san closes her eyes, bowing her head in respect. "I promise that I will do everything I can to protect this world and its people..."

The Centurion bows as well. _"Call on me whenever you have need of me and I shall do my utmost for you." _He looks up at the rest of us. _"For all of you as well. I trust in your cause. Just be sure to free us all."_

"Ah, thank you..." I speak up for the rest of us.

Lumen-san blinks, turning to Rota-san. _"Shall we form a pact on that vow then, Lady Rota?"_

"Eh...?" The valkyrie pauses, surprised. "You can make a pact with me...?"

Lumen-san shuts his eyes. _"You are a summoner are you not? I would love to forge a pact with you. Usually we Centurions require the pact maker to in turn make pacts with monsters of our element, but in this case, I shall make an exception and help you regardless."_ He floats up elegantly, light sparkling around him. _"Speak your vow... and I'll invoke to you my power. If that is what you wish."_

Rota-san pauses, her eyes closed. She then opens them and confidently says, "I, Rota Gunnr, request a pact with you, Lumen, Centurion of Light. I swear to protect the kind light in this world and the people of it."

_"Understood. I accept your vow."_ There's a flash of light—a small, glowing hexagon appears. It's so beautiful... A few strands of shimmering mana swirls around it, and it seems to glitter... There's a symbol on it as well...

"Ami... put me on..." Nanashi-san says.

"Eh? Okay..." I do that—wow...! There's even more mana around it now—it's so bright and... and beautiful...

A soft glow envelops Lumen-san—I take Nanashi-san off to see properly. The Centurion's fading into the light... _"Thank you, Lady Rota. Until you need me again, I give you my regards. And Master Mark, please take care."_ Lumen-san disappears completely, and the light disperses into shining particles that soon fade out. That was... amazing...

"That was awesome, Rota!" Nanashi-san speaks up. "And! Now you have a pact with a firefly! No more wandering through the darkness again!"

Rota-san smiles, holding the artifact Lumen-san gave her. "Yes... Lumen is really kind... Even his relic feels warm and gentle..."

"Relic?" Dhaos-san questions.

"Yes... I believe that's what this is called," she answers, holding it out so we can see. It's just large enough to fit in the palm of her hand. "This one is the Light Relic. I heard about them while studying Centurions... though I was told that they were rumored artifacts that contained the power of the Centurions."

"I guess when we see Tenebrae again, you'll have to ask him for a pact as well," Victor-san suggests, smiling.

"Victor-san, you look a little pale... Are you all right...?" the valkyrie asks.

"I'm fine. I suppose all the flashing lights have gotten to me a little."

Ah, right... Victor-san's element is darkness...

"Ah... I-I'm sorry..." The Light Relic disappears into Rota-san's circlet.

The demon smiles. "You don't need to apologize. I'm glad you were able to make a pact with Lumen."

"Hm... I guess you're not so bad after all," Athena-san says. "But if you're a summoner... Do you have Luna?"

"Eh? No..."

"My father has a pact with Luna," I tell the fairy.

"Really? Where is he?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Then I'll find him! I have to make sure he's good enough!"

"Eh? But..." Ah, she's already gone... She's really fast...

"We should continue," Suzu-chan points out. "At this rate, we may miss Talif."

"Right. Let's go." We start walking out of the tower. It's much easier to go down... We don't have to do that music puzzle again. Wait... "Mark, how did you get to the top? The music puzzle was messed up..."

"Athena helped me," he explains. "When she noticed that someone else was in the tower, she went to check it out... I'm sorry, she might've messed it up on purpose to protect me and Lumen..."

"And this _is_ the real Mark, right? There's not another shapeshifter?" the healer questions.

"Yes, it is," answers Meri, annoyed. "I doubt there are any other foxes here..."

"Perhaps if we separate, we should be sure that there's more than one of us, then," Victor-san suggests. "Speaking of, it may be best for me to go south and find Ignis."

"Eh? But don't you want to see Talif-san?" I ask.

"I doubt Talif will want to see me," he points out with a smile. "Plus, I can fly, so I'll be faster if I go with another flier. We'll meet up again in New Midgard."

"Do you want me to go with you...?" Rota-san offers.

"No. If Talif's as bad as the other elves, then your presence might help."

"But you need me to awaken the core..."

"I'll be fine. I can withstand the core's effects. And I suspect angels can do the same." He turns to the two, considering. "Ritos, would you mind coming with me? I may need a healer."

"Aww, but then I couldn't be with Ami, Suzu, and Rota."

"Yes, but you'd be able to get away from Meri for a short while. It might help your sanity levels."

"You have a point there..."

"Both of you go. And don't come back," Meri says curtly.

"My, that's quite harsh..." Victor-san mutters jokingly, still smiling.

"Now I want to stay just to spite you..."

"I need someone to go with me, though... and if Dhaos goes, then I will be plagued by silence. I'd much rather have someone I can talk to."

"Dhaos-san isn't that bad..." I glance over at him—he doesn't seem to care about this conversation...

"Fine, whatever. A few hours away from Meri will probably be good for me..." We reach the exit and step out into the light. Ritos-san turns to the demon. "So, lead the way."

"Follow me, then." A pair of dark brown dragon-like wings appear on Victor-san's back. Ritos-san's wings also appear, and they fly up into the sky.

"Be careful," I tell them.

"We will."

"See you guys later!"

The two boys fly off, towards the desert... The rest of us turn and start walking in the opposite direction.

"...That jerk never did heal me..." Meri mutters after a moment. She glances back—I look as well. They're already gone...

"Um, earlier..." Mark speaks up, "Ritos said something about the pair of glasses having a name...?"

"That's right! I'm Nanashi!"

"It... talks?" our new companion asks, tilting his head curiously.

"And that's not all I do! I can also see the flow of mana and teleport!" Nanashi-san boasts.

"Do you want to see?" I take the glasses out of my pocket and offer them to Mark. He curiously takes them and puts them on.

"It's... really blurry..."

"Yeah... That's the only problem with Nanashi-san."

"Heeey, what do you mean 'problem'?"

"That and his tendency to speak when he shouldn't," Dhaos-san adds.

Mark lets out a little laugh as he takes the glasses off. He pauses, his face becoming more serious. "Nanashi... I'm sorry."

"Eh? Why are you apologizing?"

"Um..."

"If it was about what Ami and Dhaos said, then it's fine! That's not your fault! And I know that they mean well!"

"I don't think..." Mark coughs. He then shakes his head. "Never mind. Thank you." He smiles and hands Nanashi-san back to me. I put Nanashi-san back in my pocket.

"No problem. Nanashi-san's a lot of fun, and he has a database somewhere that he can gather information from!" I explain.

"Wow... That's really cool~!" Mark coughs again, this time harder.

"Mark, you shouldn't get worked up..." Meri says. "Are you sure you're okay? If you really awakened Lumen..."

"I'm fine..."

Meri frowns...

"We can rest once we reach New Midgard," Suzu-chan suggests. "You two can take a boat to Alvanista from Valhalla Port."

"No," Meri says. "We need to keep looking for Marty. If Sakris is around, then she's in danger..."

"What do you plan to do with your brother, then? He doesn't look like he's in the condition to fight," Dhaos-san points out.

"Well..."

"Let's wait to figure out where we're going next," I speak up. "He can always stay with Mom or Cless-san!"

"The ninja can also watch after him," Suzu-chan says.

"...Thanks, all of you. We'll figure that out after we get to New Midgard, then."

"Sorry to be a burden..." The half-demon boy coughs a little.

"You're not at all! We just don't want you to get hurt," I tell him.

Mark suddenly trips—his sister quickly catches him. "Mark!"

He coughs, trying to smile. "Sorry... Just... a little dizzy all of the sudden..."

"We need to get your medicine... Marty should have an extra bottle... Dammit, where is that girl...?"

"Maybe we should rest here..." Rota-san speaks up.

"No... I'm fine; I can keep going. Really." Mark pushes himself up—Meri continues steadying him. "Let's go."

Mark... Dhaos-san is right—he doesn't look well at all... I wish I knew some way to help him...

Ah, of course! "We should take him to see Mint-san. She's one of the best healers in Aselia."

"It's fine," Mark says with a smile. "I doubt she could do much for me... I've been frail since birth, and healing magic doesn't really help much at all."

"...We're going to find a cure... That's the reason we left in the first place, remember?" his sister mutters. "No matter what... We're going to save you, Mark..." She pulls him into a light hug.

"Meri..." The boy smiles. "Thank you..."

Meri, Mark...

"I'll help, too," I tell them. "I don't really know what I can do... but I want to help."

"I wish to help as well," Rota-san says.

"Me, too! I'll look in my database!"

"...I can ask the ninja about plants with healing properties."

"...If you tell me the symptoms, I can contact Enma later and ask him to look into it."

Mark stares at all of us, surprised. He then smiles again. "Thank you... all of you." He chuckles. "With all of you here... it almost feels like a miracle can happen!"

A miracle... "I'm sure it can!" I smile back at him. He's right... Everyone here is really kind. Even though my powers have been zapped, even though we lost the battle earlier today...

It really does feel like something great will happen with my friends by my side!

**Nanashi received the title of Firefly Predictor. I told you Rota would make a pact with a large firefly!**

**Mark received the title of Accidental Awakener. Did I awaken the Centurion? I was just trying to help the flower bud...**

**Rota received the title of Protector of the Light. I swear to protect the kind light in this world and the people of it.**

**Mark received the title of Sickly Sibling. He's been frail since birth... It's a title given to one who is unwell.**

**Dhaos learned Shadow Rush.**

**Rota can now summon Lumen.**

**Obtained the Light Relic.**

**Mark (Sakris) left the party.**

**Mark (real) joined the party.**

**Ritos left the party.**

**Victor left the party.**


	15. C12: Righteous Negotiator

**Okay! I have quite a few announcements before letting you guys read the chapter.**

**First! Kazea (the person who made the missing Centurions) and I started a new story called ****Eternal Chronicles****. It's a collab crossover between Symphonia and Phantasia, where the Phantasia group accidentally ends up in the Symphonia time. The first chapter's up, and I'll be posting the next chapter up soon. Please read it!**

**Second! Kazea's title is for designing and drawing the six missing Centurions, which she did an awesome job of. You can see all of their pictures up on the Teishi 2 website, under Fun and then Pictures.**

**And third! Starry-chan drew a lovely picture of Rota, which is also up on the Teishi 2 website (same section). She also redesigned Rota's outfit so it looks much better~**

**Speaking of the website, I've added artes for everyone to the battle page. I really like Graces' style system, so... that explains why they're listed the way they are :D' I'm still working on artes for some people, but that gives you a good idea of what they're using and stuff.**

**And... I probably missed announcing something, knowing me :D' Oh well. For now, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales series. What do I own in this chapter... Oh, I own the crazy half-elf that doesn't even get a name :D'**

**-Chapter 12: Righteous Negotiator-**

We reach New Midgard. It's a bustling city, with lots of houses around... We walk through the city, looking for the library—ah, there it is! We walk in. I hope Talif-san's here...

I walk up to the librarian at the front. "Excuse me, has an elf been here recently?"

She blinks. "Yes... There was an elf boy here the past few days. He barely even left. He didn't come today, though..."

"Eh? Why?"

"I don't know. I guess he got what he needed and left..."

Why are we always just missing people...? "Thank you..." We exit the building, and I turn to the others. "What now?"

"We can ask around the city," Suzu-chan suggests. "Someone might know where he went."

"Good idea. Let's split up, then. We'll meet back here."

"Sure. Mark, you're coming with me," Meri says.

"Okay." He smiles to the rest of us. "We'll be back soon, then!" With that, the two walk away.

I glance at the others. "Heh heh, I guess the rest of us are on our own, then!"

"It seems so."

"Well, hopefully we'll find something! See you guys back here soon!" I turn and walk away. "Let's do our best, Nanashi-san!"

"Right!"

I walk over to a pair of young women, who are talking. "Excuse me," I greet. "I'm looking for an elf that was in this city the last few days... Do you know where he went?"

One girl scowls. "That little brat? I don't know, but I hope I never see him again."

Eh?

"He was acting all high and mighty, like he thought we humans were beneath him," the other says. "You're not one of his friends, are you?"

"No way, her ears aren't pointed! I bet she's his servant or something."

"That's disgusting..."

Ah... It seems Talif-san didn't leave a very good impression... "N-no, nothing like that!" I quickly tell them. "I'll be on my way, then..." I swiftly walk down the closest alleyway. "That was a disaster..." I mutter to Nanashi-san.

"If everyone's going to react like that, you might have to ask in a different way..." he suggests.

"But how?"

"Hm... You could act like you hate him!"

"Eh?"

"Just say, 'Hey you! Have you seen that damn elf kid?'"

"I can't do that..."

"Want me to do it for you?"

"You don't sound like a girl..." I point out.

"I could try!"

"Somehow, I don't think that'd work very well..."

"Just try it on the next person you see! All you have to do is sound assertive and they won't jump to conclusions like that!"

"Okay..." I walk out of the alleyway. There's someone... I walk over. "Um, h-hey you...!"

The young man turns to me questioningly. "Yes...?"

"Um, well... I'm looking for... I, I mean, have you seen that elf kid...?" Ahh, that was terrible...

"Eh? The elf?" his smile melts into a frown.

"Yes..."

"He stole something from us!"

"Ah, Nanashi-san...!"

"W-what was that...?" the young man demands, glancing around.

"Ah... I-I'm a ghost! Whooooooo~!" Nanashi-san tries to make a creepy sound. This is... kind of embarrassing...

"N-never mind..." I tell the young man. "Excuse me..." I hurry off down the street. Ahh, why is this so hard...

"Ami, watch out—"

Oops, I bumped into someone... The person turns—wait, it's—

"Seth?"

He blinks, staring down at me. "Ami... What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that... I thought you were in the west..."

Seth chuckles. "So were you. I caught a boat here after stopping by Alvanista."

"I've sort of been all over the place..."

"Have your travels gone well?"

"Yep! I've made a lot more friends! Oh, and I found Meri and Mark!"

"Really? Are they here?"

"Yeah. We're looking for an elf named Talif right now—we split up to ask around about him."

"I'm glad to hear they're all right... Have you see Marty at all?"

"No... We've been looking, though."

"I see..." He smiles, glancing at Nanashi. "Hello again, Nanashi."

"You remember me!"

"Of course. You're kind of hard to forget."

"So what are you doing?" I ask Seth.

"A citizen from this city asked me to look into something," he answers, turning back to the building he was staring at.

"Something...?"

"They said that there's a half-elf in this city that might be studying something dangerous... I'm worried they might think that just because of her race, but..."

"All we have to do is ask her, right?"

"I hope so..."

"I don't know... There's something odd about this place..." Nanashi-san speaks up.

"Odd...?"

"Yeah... Put me on."

I do so. Huh... The mana around here doesn't flow like normal... It's more like it's gathering up... "You're right..."

"What do you see?"

"It's like the mana around here's gathering up in this building..." I take Nanashi-san off. "What should we do?"

"Hm..." Seth knocks on the door again, and we wait. There's no answer...

"If she's not home, we could always sneak in," Nanashi-san suggests.

"Eh? But..."

"I might be able to warp us in! Then we just have to check out if she's doing anything suspicious and warp out!"

"That might work..."

Eh? "Seth, you're for this idea...?"

He chuckles. "Perhaps Meri's rubbed off on me. But if this place really is abnormal, I can't just leave it..."

"I guess you're right..."

"Then it's settled! Ami, put me on and see if there are any cracks around!"

"Okay." I put him on and glance around. I don't see any cracks... "I'm going to take a walk around the building," I tell Seth.

"I'll wait here."

I stroll around, going to the back... I still don't see anything... "Nanashi-san, where are the cracks...?"

"Um, well... I'm not sure... They move around some, so it's not like I can predict them..."

"What are you doing?"

"Ah...!" I turn around, taking off the glasses—Dhaos-san is standing there. "Dhaos-san! You surprised me..."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"We're sneaking into this building!" Nanashi-san explains cheerfully.

"Why?"

"There's something strange about it," I explain. "Mana's flowing into it... It sort of reminds me of..."

"...Magitech..."

"Yeah..."

"Ami," Seth calls out as he walks over. "Oh, hello, Dhaos."

"...Hello again."

"Dhaos, are you going to sneak in with us?" Nanashi-san asks.

"...Might as well."

Eh? Dhaos-san is...

Oh right, he really hates magitech... I guess that's why...

"I found an unlocked window," Seth says. "We can get in that way."

"All right." We follow the swordsman to the side of the house, where he opens a window for us. I climb through first, looking around. This looks to be a study... It has a few bookshelves and a desk with notes scattered all over it. Some of the papers fall to the floor as wind blows in through the open window.

"There's probably something in here," Seth points out. He and Dhaos-san are both inside the room now... The swordsman walks over to the desk and starts shuffling through papers, while the angel glances through the books. What can I do...?

Oh, of course! I put Nanashi-san on and look for that mana flow. It goes... down...? "Dhaos-san, Seth... The mana goes into the floor..."

"Into the floor...?"

"There's probably stairs leading down into a basement," Dhaos-san suggests.

"Like a secret passage!" the glasses speak up.

"Isn't that a little..."

"No, he's right," the angel says. "There are marks on this wall, indicating where the bookshelf slides."

"Then we just need to find the switch, right?" I ask.

"Correct."

We exchange glances, and then start looking around for a switch. Seth and I try the bookshelf, pulling random books off and putting them back, while Dhaos-san examines the wall.

"The bookshelf? Isn't that a little cliché?" the glasses point out.

"Then where do you think it should be?" Seth asks.

"Hm... Maybe you have to move a candle holder!"

"Isn't that also cliché...?" I speak up.

"Oh, I guess it is..."

Where could it be... I walk over to the desk and crouch down so I can see under it. It's kinda dark... I feel around for any switches.

"Oh come on, that's too easy—"

Found it! I press it, and there's a click. The bookshelf in question moves to the side, along the wall.

"...I feel cheated," Nanashi-san mutters.

We all walk over to the newly opened passage and peer down as the lights come on. There's a spiral staircase leading downwards...

"...I hear something down there," Dhaos-san says.

"Let's be careful, then..." Seth draws his sword and leads the way; we follow him.

We reach the bottom of the stairs and keep walking through the hallway. I put Nanashi-san on to see the mana flow... It seems to go somewhere ahead—

Seth and Dhaos-san get into fighting positions, and a low growl meets my ears. I take off the glasses—there's a large dog there... It has spotted fur and a spiked tail... and its teeth and claws are both really big... I pull out my hammer as the thing slowly advances on us.

"Wow! That's a Bandersnatch! A real one!" Nanashi-san exclaims excitedly.

"I'm glad someone's happy..." Seth mutters. "Here it comes!"

The thing charges at Seth—he dodges and slashes it with his sword. I run forward and whack it with my hammer. It snarls, throwing its tail at Seth—he's thrown back...!

"Seth!"

It swings its claws at me—I hold my arms up—ah...!

"Photon!" Dhaos-san calls out as a spell hits the Bandersnatch. I hit it again—it stumbles back before turning to me, snarling.

"Pow Hammer!" That stunned it! I rush in and hit it—Dhaos-san does the same.

"Healer!" Ah, my arm feels better!

"Everyone, hit him at the same time with artes!" Nanashi-san suggests. "On my count!"

"Easier said than done...!" I swing my hammer, hitting it in the side.

"Three! Two!"

We get into position.

"One! Now!"

We all strike him—

"Pow Hammer!"

"Shadow Rush!"

"Demon Fang!"

Wow, the attacks seemed to explode with energy as they hit! The Bandersnatch falls to the ground, dead.

"Heh heh, and this is why you should use me in battle more!" Nanashi-san boasts.

"How—"

The door past the large dog opens. There's a half-elf woman standing there... She has blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She looks at the dog with green eyes. "Fluffy!"

Fluffy...?

She turns to us. "Just who are you?"

"Um..."

"My name is Seth," the swordsman answers as he steps forward, sheathing his sword. "I have been sent to investigate this house. It is gathering mana in an unusual fashion."

"Investigate...? Who sent you?"

"That's confidential. Regardless, the pair of glasses we have is programmed follow mana flow, so we're certain it's ahead. It would be easier on all of us if you showed us what's draining the mana." Wow... Seth sounds so... assertive... It's completely different from usual...

The woman glares at him, thinking. Seth stares back, his face unreadable. She sighs and turns back into the room. "This way." It worked... We follow the woman.

We enter a room full of machines, most uncompleted. I put Nanashi-san on; there's the one that's draining mana. I walk over to it, taking the glasses off so I can see properly. This looks to be the only one that's on... though I'm not sure what it's meant to do...

"All of this is meant to be magitechnology?" Seth questions.

"Yes," answers the woman.

"Even though it's banned?"

"...Yes."

"Why?"

"'Why?' That's a strange question for an investigator to ask..." she points out.

"...There are many types of magitech," Seth replies, "and thus many reasons for making it. Why are you?"

She studies him a moment, her eyes cold.

"Tell me."

"...A pampered kid like you would never understand what it's like to be a half-elf," she snaps.

"Perhaps I'm not a half-elf. However, my best friends are part _demon_," the swordsman says, his voice soft, yet strong. "Regardless, they have done nothing but help this world and the people of it—and for that, they have earned respect." He pauses a moment before continuing, "What you're doing now is hurting the world; you're draining mana, and if you continue, you could kill our tree of life."

"Y-you..."

"If you want respect, go talk to your neighbors." He offers a smile. "Given time, I'm sure they'll understand your true feelings."

"S-shut up!" she yells, angry. "Half demons? Like I believe that load of crap! I don't need a spoiled brat like you telling me what to do!" She pulls a lever—ah...!

"Ami!"

Ow, that really hurt... Dhaos-san rushes over to the machine—which is moving...! It has energy blades hovering around it... I push myself up and pull my hammer out.

"Everyone, be careful!" the glasses call out. "It's draining a lot more mana now!"

"We need to end this quickly, then," Dhaos-san says as he punches it—a shield shoots up around the machine just in time. "Ami, help me with this barrier!"

"Got it!" I swing my hammer down on it—it hits the barrier hard. There's a flash of light—a laser shoots out—

"Dhaos-san!"

"Healer!" My wounds heal up a little, thanks to Seth.

"Nanashi, is this working at all?" Dhaos-san asks as he pushes himself up.

"That's a negative."

"See if you can find a weak point..."

"I can't let you do that," the half-elf woman speaks up as she steps forward. She now has magitech armor...! She's carrying a cylinder—she holds it up, and a beam appears, like a sword. "But I must thank you for allowing me to test out these machines... My client will be pleased to hear how well they work."

"I'll handle her," Seth speaks up as he steps forward. "You two take care of the machine."

"...Let me know if you need to heal," Dhaos-san instructs. "Demon Fist!"

I put Nanashi-san on. It really _is_ draining a lot more mana now...! It's all coming in from the top, where there's no barrier... There has to be something...

Wait, Nanashi-san said that if I hit the mana just right, then my attack will get stronger... But Pow Hammer won't do much...

But... I know what arte will... Still, I can't get high enough... Unless... I clutch my hammer and step back. If I get a running start and... "Dhaos-san, I need a boost! Help me get above it!"

"Understood."

He dodges a laser attack as I run forward—he gets into position, holding his hands out. I jump—he gives me an extra boost up—"Soaring Blast!" I fall down, in the middle of the barrier, hitting the machine square on the top! There's a bright flash of light—ah...!

"Ami!"

O-ow... I was thrown back... I slowly push myself up, taking Nanashi-san off. The machine's completely destroyed... Seth's still fighting against the half-elf... Their swords clash—Seth pushes her back, destroying some of her armor. She presses a button—a laser shoots from her breastplate, hitting Seth's shoulder...!

"Seth!" Ow...

"Your..."

Seth slashes the woman before she can finish, destroying her armor. She falls back against the wall, bleeding. She's breathing hard... Dhaos-san and I walk over.

"Now I see... You're... the same..." She faints.

Eh...? What's she talking about...?

"Is she... dead?" Nanashi-san asks.

Seth sheathes his sword. "She'll live. We should report this to the town guard." He turns to us. "I'm sorry, I don't have the energy to heal your wounds..."

"We can eat and rest once we're back above ground," I suggest as I put my hammer away.

"Agreed." We start walking back through the hall and up the stairs... We finally make it above ground, into the study. I'm exhausted...

There's the front door. We walk out—there's a small rush of wind as a figure jumps down from above.

"Suzu-chan!" I walk over to the ninja in front of us.

"What happened?" she asks.

"It's a long story..." Come to think of it, I completely forgot why we were here... "Did you find anything?"

"No. However, it seems Mark's condition has gotten worse; he's resting in the inn now. Rota and Meri are there as well."

"W-we should see them, then! Where's the inn?"

"Follow me." Suzu-chan starts walking, and the rest of us follow.

"It's good to see you again, Suzu-san," Seth greets.

"You as well."

We walk in silence—the inn isn't very far at all. We enter, and Suzu-chan leads us up to the first room on the second floor. She opens the door—Mark's lying on the bed, with Meri sitting next to him. Rota-san is preparing sandwiches on a table nearby.

"Ami-san, Dhaos-san, welcome back," Rota-san greets. "Who..."

"Seth!" Meri and Mark chorus, followed by Mark coughing.

The swordsman chuckles. "Don't exhaust yourself, Mark." He walks over to his best friends. "I'm glad to see you two are doing well."

"What happened to you?"

"Ami-san, Dhaos-san, and I went on a little adventure. Speaking of," Seth continues as he turns to Suzu-chan, "you're a ninja, correct? Would it be possible for you to make a magitech report to the king?"

Suzu-chan nods. "Very well."

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Seth," Meri speaks up. "You haven't found Marty yet?"

"I could say the same for you."

"Yeah, but she's your girlfriend!"

"S-she's not my girlfriend...! And she's your sister..."

"Yeah, but you're the hero-type," Meri says. "You're supposed to save your damsel in distress!"

"I..."

The door suddenly opens. It's Victor-san...! "Oh, I found everyone," he says with a smile.

"Victor-san, welcome back," Rota-san greets. "Where's Ritos-san...?"

"Hm, well... How to put it..."

"Did something happen...?" I ask.

"Basically... He's been turned into stone," Victor-san explains cheerfully.

"...Ehhhh?"

**Ami received the title of Cliché Finder. A switch under the desk may be a little cliché, but that won't stop me from finding it!**

**Seth received the title of Righteous Negotiator. I understand your pains, and I want to help you... However, I cannot allow you to continue down your current path.**

**Kazea received the title of Aya's Official Centurion Designer. It is a title given to the one who has designed and drawn all of the new Centurions for Syukuzen no Teishi.**

**Dhaos learned Photon.**

**Ami learned Soaring Blast.**

**Seth joined the party.**

**Victor joined the party.**


	16. C13: Savior Petrification

**Sorry for the wait! For some reason, this chapter was hard to write at first... but once I really got going on it, it was suddenly easy. XD'**

**Well, no real big announcements here. I've been procrastinating by working on other things for the stories, so there's a lot added to the website. Namely, skits. Lots of skits. Oh, and I've added a tropes page. Because TV Tropes are **_**highly**_** distracting. Also finally finished the artes for everyone... Well, almost, anyway. I just thought of a few more I might add...**

**But, for now! Enjoy the chapter~**

**...Also, it is apparently a very bad day to be an angel.**

**Oh right! And for those wondering about Mjollnia Cave—it's Volt's Cave. I've been playing a lot of Narikiri Dungeon X lately, and that's what it's called in there. So, decided to go with the official Japanese name.**

**Last note, really. XD' Thank you **_**so much**_** Alvin-kun (even if you don't read this story) for helping me with the chapter title. 'Stoned Savior' just sounds so... wrong. XD''**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**-Chapter 13: Savior Petrification-**

"Ritos-san... has been turned into stone...?" I repeat.

"Yes. By a basilisk," Victor-san explains simply.

Meri... bursts out laughing...

"M-Meri..."

"Oh I've gotta see that...!" she exclaims.

"We need to help him..." Rota-san speaks up.

"It's kinda ironic that our group healer got turned to stone," Nanashi-san points out. "He probably knows Recover, too."

Suzu-chan turns to Seth. "Do you know that spell?"

"I'm afraid all I know is Antidote... That won't help for stone."

"Hm? We've gained a new member?" Victor-san notices.

"My name is Seth," the swordsman says. "I'm a childhood friend of Meri and Mark."

"I'm Victor."

"And my name is Rota Gunnr..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Seth says kindly. "As for the problem with Ritos-san, I may not know Recover, but basilisk scales can actually cure that problem."

"Really?"

"Yes. We just need to defeat the basilisk, and you can leave the rest to me."

"Thank you, Seth!" I say happily. We can save Ritos-san!

"Don't thank me until he's safe. I've never actually tried this before..."

"That's okay! I'm sure you can do it!" Nanashi-san assures him.

Mark suddenly coughs hard... I hope he's okay...

"Mark won't be able to go like this... He must be pretty weak from waking up Lumen, if it takes as much power as you say," Meri points out.

"This isn't a safe place for him to rest," Seth says. "Ami, Dhaos, and I might have upset a woman who was making magitech machines..."

"Magitech?"

"Ah... Did you stop her...?" Mark asks, coughing.

"Yes, but she still needs to be reported..."

"...I will do it, then," Suzu-chan offers. "I promised I would talk to the ninja about Mark-san's disease, so this would be a good chance for me to do that as well."

"Thank you, Suzu..." Meri says.

"I'll take Mark-san to Alvanista with me, so you don't need to worry about him," the ninja continues. "Cless-san is a friend of ours—he'll give Mark-san a place to stay."

"Good idea," I say. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Suzu-chan shakes her head. "I will be fine. It won't take me long to return."

"After we awaken Ignis, we'll probably head to Mjollnia Cave for Tonitrus," Victor-san offers.

The ninja nods. "Understood. I'll catch up with you there."

"Sorry to cause trouble..." Mark says with a cough.

"You're not causing any trouble," I assure him with a smile.

Suzu-chan nods. "I need to go there anyway."

"Ah... Right. Thank you."

"You should tell us about that disease before we part," Dhaos-san suggests.

"Okay. What do you wanna know?"

"You said you've had it since birth, correct?" the ninja questions.

"That's right. I'm the only one that got anything like this... My sisters are fine."

"What are the symptoms?"

"Well..."

"Allow me to explain," Seth speaks up. "My mother is his doctor, after all." He pauses a moment before continuing, "We think his sickness is caused by the different types of mana from different species conflicting. It's similar to how half-elves are sometimes born with multicolored eyes, only this seems to deplete his mana over time. When Mark was young, he was much healthier. As he's grown, though, he's only lost mana and his body has slowly gotten worse. Any heavy labor or use of magic depletes what mana he has left even further, which is why he's not allowed to fight."

"Have you tried finding a way to give him more mana?" Nanashi-san asks.

"That's what his current medicine does. However, it's not nearly enough to keep him going, especially with..." Seth trails of...

"With what...?"

"With how reckless he is," Meri speaks up. "This boy just can't keep himself out of trouble. And awakening Lumen just made him worse."

"Have you tried other doctors?" the angel questions.

"Yes," the swordsman answers. "We've had a number of doctors look at him, but... None of them have even seen a half-demon before, let alone know the cause of this disease."

I turn to Dhaos-san. "Do you think there might be anything in Derris-Kharlan that can help him...?"

"It's possible. I'll send a message to Enma and ask him to look into it," he answers.

"Thank you."

"We should go help Ritos-san now," Seth suggests. The rest of us nod.

"We'll see you later, Suzu-chan, Mark!" I tell the two as we walk out of the room. Meri and Seth stay last to have a few more words with the sick boy. We head downstairs and wait for them to join us.

"Where exactly is Ritos?" Dhaos-san asks.

"The volcano," Victor-san answers. "We split up to look for Ignis; when I ran into a dead-end, I went to find him. However, he was already turned to stone by the time I got there... Rather than risk being turned into stone as well, I decided it best to come get help."

"A wise decision," Seth says as he and Meri come downstairs. "We should hurry to him now."

"Agreed." We leave the inn and start walking south, towards the desert. We walk quickly; we need to get to him as soon as possible, but going too fast will exhaust us... especially once we reach the desert...

"So, where has Prince Charming been this whole time?" Meri asks.

"Prince Charming...?" Ah, that must mean...

"Yep! It's my nickname for Seth. I mean, just look at him; he's a handsome young man that dresses like some sort of hero!"

"Eh? Do I really...?"

The half-demon giggles. "You really do."

"Come to think of it, that description fits you perfectly," Rota-san agrees.

"Hey, maybe that's why the townspeople asked him to look into that magitech thing!" suggests Nanashi-san.

"Ooh, maybe! That makes sense!" I concur.

"You certainly do dress above average," Victor-san speaks up. "Do you come from a rich family?"

"Yes," answers the swordsman.

"I believe missed your family name before."

"I would rather not say... Things with my family are rather complicated at the moment..."

"Oh? Did you steal the family fortune and run?" The demon keeps a smile on his face and a light tone to let us know that he's joking.

"Nothing like that... What about you, Victor-san?"

"Oh, I suppose I haven't told you yet, have I? I'm a demon."

"A demon?..."

"That's not a problem, is it?" A smile stays on Victor-san's face the whole time he talks.

"No, not at all. I was simply surprised is all," Seth says, smiling as well.

"I suppose I should tell you about myself as well..." Rota-san speaks up. "I'm a valkyrie."

"A valkyrie? Really?"

"Yes..."

"Wow..."

"You're not anything unusual like us, are you?" the demon muses.

"No. I'm a normal human."

Ah right...! "Oh, that reminds me! That fox demon from before... Who was she?"

"Fox demon?" Seth frowns. "You don't mean..."

"Yeah," Meri answers her friend before turning to me. "Sakris Skilja."

"How do you know her?" Dhaos-san questions.

"She's been an enemy of our families for a long time. She's Hades' second in command, from what I understand."

"How much do you know about Hades?"

"Not much," Seth takes over on explaining. "He's a demon lord, but no one's seen the real Hades before. Some believe he's still stuck in Niflheim and that his followers are doing things in his name."

"So far we know about Sakris and that samurai that helped Suzu-chan..." I point out. "His name was Anjin-san, right?"

"Correct. Seth, Meri, are there any other followers we should be aware of?" the angel asks.

Seth and Meri look a little surprised... After a moment, the swordsman shakes his head. "I'm unsure... I've heard of quite a few demons, but I don't know how many are in Aselia at this time..."

"Sakris mentioned your father..." Victor-san speaks up, turning his attention to Meri.

She glares at him in response. "My father was a traitor who disappeared before I was born. I don't care about him," she snaps coldly.

Eh...?

"Meri... Surely you don't believe that..." Seth mutters sadly.

"For someone who doesn't care, there certainly is a lot of emotion in your voice..." the demon says.

"S-shut up! What does it matter to you, anyway?"

Victor-san smiles. "I just wanted to make sure we won't have to fight this father of yours at some point. Though it sounds like even if we did, you would have everything handled."

The girl turns away, folding her arms over her chest angrily. "Of course I do! I'd be happy to have a chance to put that guy in his place!"

"You mean as your father?"

"No!" she yells forcefully, causing Victor-san to chuckle.

"Relax, it was a joke."

"Don't joke about something so absurd!"

"My bad," he says, still smiling. "I'll have to remember that it's a touchy subject."

We all walk in silence for a moment. Meri... I wonder what happened to her father, but... I'm scared to ask... I don't want to open any old wounds...

But... she called him a traitor... Does that mean he's really working for Hades? Ahh, I hope not... I don't want to fight Meri's father... And even if she acts all brave about it, surely she can't really want to fight him...

I shouldn't think like that... I'm sure that he has a good reason for... well, whatever happened. And maybe Meri will be willing to tell us what it was sometime... Right now, though, we need to concentrate on saving Ritos-san.

Ow, the sun's really starting to get in my eyes now... We cross the second bridge and step out onto the hot sand. The heat seems to really beat down on me all of the sudden... We continue walking, our feet sinking a little—I'm probably going to have a lot of sand in my shoes by the time we get to the volcano...

Come to think of it, the volcano's in the middle of the mountain ranges here, right? When we went by it in the past, we used a pass that Odin showed us... It's been a long time, but maybe it's still here... If not, then I'm sure we can find another way through the mountains! I hurry ahead of the others before turning towards them, walking backwards for a moment. "This way! There might be a pass over here. It shouldn't be very far, either!" I turn back around, so I'm facing forward, and continue walking. Yep, the mountains are just ahead! I glance around, looking for a good pass—there's one; a trail leading up the mountain, though not too steep. I point it out to the others, and we set our course straight for the path.

"How far in is Ritos-san?" Seth asks.

"He's up a little ways... However, don't worry; I believe I remember how to get there," Victor-san assures us.

The swordsman nods. "We'll leave it to you, then."

We reach the trail and start walking up. We're getting out of the sand, but... it's still so hot... There only plants around are desert plants—a few small shrubs and cacti. There are also animals around, but no monsters, so it's an easy journey... Well, besides the heat... I almost don't want to move anymore, but... I have to. Ritos-san is in danger...

"Ugghh, why did that idiot have to get himself trapped in a _volcano_...?" Meri whines. "Maybe Suzu was smart to go to Alvanista instead..."

"It's a good thing Mark doesn't have to travel through this heat, though," Seth points out.

"Yes, agreed," the valkyrie says.

"None of us should've had to come here!" the half-demon points out. "I swear, when we save that guy, I'm gonna kill him!"

"Wouldn't that go against the point of saving him?" Nanashi-san asks.

"Shut up! It's his fault for being so stupid!" Meri quickens her pace. Heh heh, she really reminds me of Arche-san... It's kind of refreshing.

The trail doesn't go far up before going down again... Ahh, never mind—it breaks off into a small cliff. But the ground isn't that far... If there's a slope, then we can climb down... Ah, there's one! I hurry over, and the others follow me. We carefully make our way down the slope, back onto the desert sand. All right, we're almost at the volcano! Just hang in there a little longer, Ritos-san!

I quicken my pace; it really doesn't take that long to get there at all. We finally enter the doors... Oh right, this was a tower of some sort once, right? Ahh, it's really hot inside... Even more so than I thought it'd be...

"T-this heat is insane..." Meri gasps.

"Really?" Nanashi speaks up, thinking. "I can't feel it, but... it makes sense. We're in an enclosed area, so the heat created by the lava and fire elementals around can't escape... And it'll no doubt get hotter as we go up."

"Joy..." the half-demon mutters sarcastically. "You're lucky, not being able to feel anything right now..."

"Lucky... Y-yeah, I guess I am..."

"Victor-san, you don't seem to be breaking a sweat..." Seth points out.

"Oh, that's in appearances only, I assure you," the demon says, quite cheerfully. "I'm burning up as much as the rest of you."

"You sure don't sound like it..." Meri remarks.

"We should move quickly," Dhaos-san suggests.

Ah... "Dhaos-san... It must be really hot in that huge cloak..."

"...I'm fine."

"There's no way..."

"The faster we leave here, the better it is for all of us." He turns to Victor-san. "Lead the way."

"Of course. Follow me." The demon walks through the door straight ahead, and we follow. Still, I'm worried about Dhaos-san... He must be the worst off out of all of us...

"Hey, those torches... If it's as hot as you guys say, then I doubt anyone comes here, right? Do you think they always burn like that?"

Eh? I look up—there are torches burning on either side of the stairs ahead. Come to think of it, the stones used in this place are dark, and there are no windows... but it's still light enough for us to see. The light from the torches around really spreads...

"Probably. This place has strong fire mana around, correct? Perhaps that allows them to continue burning," Seth suggests.

"Yeah, I see quite a bit of fire mana around them..." the glasses continue. "It's almost like the mana and torches power each other... The torches give the mana the energy to stay burning, and the mana carries the fire through the air. That could explain why it's abnormally hot _and_ why it's so light..."

"Eh? Then could it light us on fire...?" I ask.

"Nah; it's not carrying enough to hurt you."

Well that's good... We walk up the stairs, into another room. Torches align the red walls, and we walk forward through the narrow path. We walk up another set of stairs, into a room with a waterfall of lava running down the side, into the room below... Making a u-turn, we walk through another narrow hallway, following it around to another set of stairs... We go up again...

"It really _is_ getting hotter... I kind of want to trade with Nanashi right now..." Meri complains.

"...Could we really?"

"...After the way you said that, no."

"Aww..."

Heh heh... The stairs lead to another narrow hallway, and Victor-san leads us up again. Ah... this looks the same as before... We keep walking up...

"Ritos-san... is ahead, right...?" Rota-san says, sounding a little exhausted. I glance over at her. Wait... she's hovering... There's a little bit of light below her feet, like a disc...

"Yes. Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention—he's at the very top," the demon replies, smiling.

"Why didn't you say so...!" Meri yells.

"I did say that he was a little ways up..."

"'A little' doesn't mean the top!"

"My bad." He gives her one more smile before turning ahead, leading the way through another narrow hallway. Ugh... I'm not sure I can walk much further... It's way too hot in here...

We reach another staircase. I have to keep moving... but... how much further do we—

Ah, there's Ritos-san...! He's encased in stone, his spear out and in a battle position, like he was trying to fight. A large basilisk is resting down on the other side of him—it now stands, hissing at us. We all pull out our weapons and get ready to fight. I just hope I can fight properly in this heat...

I have to try, though—here it comes! "Coil!" I increase my strength before jumping out of the way of its charge. I swing my hammer down on its tail—it hisses and turns towards me, swinging its claws—ah...!

"Astral Belt!"

I quickly recover and whack it again—it swings its tail into Meri, throwing her into the wall—"Meri! Hey, leave her alone...!" I slam my hammer down on its front claw.

"Aqua Edge!" Water flies at the think and it yelps. All right...! I hit it again while it's distracted. We've got this...!

The basilisk turns to me, its eyes glowing. What is it...

"Ami, move!"

A beam comes out—ow! I hit the floor... What was tha... Ah, Dhaos-san...! He got turned to stone... instead of me... "Dhaos-san..."

I clutch my hammer and push myself up, turning to the basilisk. "You..."

"Healer!"

I'm feeling a lot more refreshed now. I rush forward and attack it—I hit it a few times before jumping up in the air—"Soaring Blast...!"

"Come, Loki!" The wolf appears on top of the basilisk, biting the back of its neck. Ah! I got hit by its tail...

I push myself up, watching the tail to make sure I'm not hit again. Victor-san jumps over it, onto the thing's back. "Frigid Blade!" He stabs an ice sword into it.

I can get in... now! I charge forward, holding my hammer up—

"Aqua Cloak!" Water mana forms around my hammer as I swing it down—the creature screams out in pain. It then falls to the ground, not moving anymore. We did it...

"All right, we beat the basilisk!" Nanashi-san cheers.

"Like you even did anything..." Meri...

"Meri, did you enchant my hammer...?"

"Yeah," she answers. "I specialize in enchanting weapons. I've been trying to learn how to enchant enemies, too, but that's a bit harder..." She turns to Ritos. "Geez, he really got himself in a mess..."

"Dhaos-san's been turned into stone as well now... Seth..."

The swordsman nods. "I'll get to work right away." He walks over to the basilisk and starts gathering scales.

"This could take a minute... Perhaps the rest of us should find Ignis," Victor-san suggests.

"But this is a dead-end..." the valkyrie points out.

"No it's not..." Nanashi-san speaks up. "The far wall... there's a lot of fire mana coming from it." Eh? I put the glasses on and look. He's right...

"Hm... the torches here aren't lit up," Victor-san points out. I take the glasses off so I can see properly—there's a torch on each side of the indent in the wall, both unlit... The demon creates a fire dagger with his ball and attempts to light one. It immediately goes out again... That's weird... "How interesting..." He says as he steps back. "I assume we need to light both at the same time, then... Too bad Dhaos has been turned to stone—a fire spell would be handy right about now."

"Leave it to me," Meri speaks up.

"Eh...?"

"I said I can enchant weapons, remember? I already know fire, so I can use that!" she explains as she walks over to the other torch. She starts charging up... "Scorching Edge!" Fire envelops her tonfas.

"All right, then on the count of three," Victor-san says. "One... two... three!" Both strike the torches, lighting them up. A section of wall goes down into the ground, revealing a room behind it. It worked... Victor-san smiles as he turns to us, his weapon turning back into a ball. "Shall we?"

I glance back at our friends... Seth's still working. There doesn't seem to be much I can do... so, I guess I should help with the Centurion... We walk into the new room.

They'll be okay, so... now we have to awaken Ignis-san!

**Mark gained the title of Odd Disease. None of his doctors are quite sure how to treat his unusual disease.**

**Seth gained the title of Prince Charming. With that heroic look and his good manners, he can charm any young lady! A title given to him by Meri.**

**Meri gained the title of Rebellious Daughter. I hate that traitor they call my father... If I ever see him, I'm gonna take him down!**

**Dhaos gained the title of Savior Petrification. He may have saved Ami from being turned to stone, but that just got him solidified instead.**

**Meri learned Aqua Cloak.**

**Suzu left the party.**

**Mark left the party.**


	17. C14: Flaming Heart

**...The rest of the Centurions have a lot to live up to with how high Lumen and Ignis are setting the bar.**

**Anyway! Please welcome Ignis, Centurion of fire! She was made by Kazea, who helped me considerably with this chapter. Thank you soooo very much, Kazea! This chapter wouldn't be so super-cool if it wasn't for your amusing and awesome Ignis~ (Now I'm sounding like Nanashi...)**

**And, since apparently she didn't know before, a special thanks to my current (and hopefully won't change from that title) official beta, Starry-chan!**

**Other announcements, um... Oh right! I put up a new artes page for two characters and some battle quotes. So far only a few victory quotes and Mystic Artes quotes. And and! I hit page 100! (That includes the bonus chapters, though). Hm, combined with the first story, that makes 800+ pages... Just 200 more and the Teishi series will be at a thousand pages!**

**So then, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Tales series. Darn. Kazea sorta owns Ignis? (She owns her personality and design, at least...)**

**-Chapter 14: Flaming Heart-**

This is the secret room... The walls here are made of dark blue bricks, some with intricate designs, while the floor's a lighter shade of blue. There's a small wall straight ahead, with stairs leading up on either side; we take the stairs up, to see more stairs leading up to a bridge over the room. Between the stairs, there's a ramp leading down to an altar, which we take... It's a wide pathway which dips down into lava; this must be where the lava waterfall was coming from... At the bottom, there's a strange, orange symbol on the floor. On the far side is a large, golden pedestal with a red Centurion core floating on it. There are stairs leading up to the pedestal, and the whole structure is surrounded by a dome with 'legs' coming out from it.

Rota-san walks up to the core and takes it in both hands. She concentrates, and the core begins to glow. It rises up out of her hands as it transforms into a glowing sphere—a red one, again with a strange symbol on it. The sphere then fades into a creature... Ignis-san is a lizard—his face is covered by a dark metal mask, with a shining symbol—like the one on the sphere—on his forehead. There are spikes coming out the top of it—each with what looks to be drops of lava decorating them. His neck looks to be made of lava, with a metal collar at the end. From that, shining scales comes out over his skin. His feet are covered by the same dark metal as his head, with long, molten claws at the end. His long tail also looks to be made of lava... He stares at us, almost glaring...

"Ignis..." Rota-san speaks up as she steps forward. "My name is Rota Gunnr. I am seeking to find and awaken Ratatosk. For now, though, I request a pact with you."

Ignis-san floats towards Rota-san, eyes narrowing. The Centurion gets really close... Rota-san blinks as she stares back, a little uncertain of if she should do anything. "...A pact, you say?" Wait, Ignis-san is female... "How to the point... Do you know what I'm going to do first?" She bares her fangs at the valkyrie.

Rota-san blinks. "No..." Her hand tightens into a fist, determined. "...However, I'm prepared."

Ignis-san slowly lowers to the ground, moving her head close to Rota's hand. What's she going to do...? Rota-san... "I'm..." The Centurion suddenly bursts into a bright smile, eyes closing happily as she nudges her head into Rota-san's hand—like she wants Rota-san to pet her. "...totally gonna thank ya for letting me outta there, Miss Valkyrie! You have _no_ idea how long I've been trapped in there! So cramped!"

"O-oh, you're welcome..." The valkyrie pets Ignis-san, offering a kind smile. Whew... Ignis-san seems like a nice Centurion. Then again, so were Lumen-san and Tenebrae-san... I guess I had nothing to worry about. Heh heh...

Ignis-san backs away, smiling. She gestures at herself with a claw. "Sorry fer comin' off so rudely before. I couldn't help meself ta a wee bit of fun, hehe. Been years since I've talked ta anyone. Lemme try this again. Hiya, Lady Rota. I am indeed Ignis, Centurion of Fire. Nice ta meet'cha!" The Centurion bows.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Rota-san replies. "I apologize if I was too direct to start with..." She looks down, a little worried.

Ignis-san offers a wide grin. "Naw! Yer fine. I like a strong pact maker who's upfront. Bein' direct gets on me good side!" She turns to the rest of us. "And this lot would be yer company? Do ya'll have names?"

"Of course!" Meri answers. "Name's Meri Skolos."

"I'm Nanashi!"

"Victor Andskot."

"And I'm Ami Barklight. It's nice to meet you!" I say with a small bow. "We have three more friends in the other room—Dhaos-san, Ritos-san, and Seth. And Suzu-chan also travels with us, but she's on her way to Alvanista right now..."

"Hm..." The Centurion floats up, thinking. "All pretty good names... but I think they could use me ingenious flare!" She hovers over to Meri. "We have Lady Rota first. I like yer upbeat attitude, Meri, so ya can be next! What's a suitable nickname fer a lovely girl such as yerself? Lemme see..."

"Make it something cool!" Meri says happily.

"'Something cool'? Like you deserve that..." That voice...! I turn to the entrance—our three companions walk in.

"Ritos-san!"

"Hey there. Did'ya miss me?" Ritos-san greets with a wide grin.

"Of course not. I should've written on you while I had the chance."

"Shut up..." He leans against the wall.

"Gladly! I'm about to get an awesome nickname from Ignis!"

"Whatever..."

Heh, I'm glad to see that Dhaos-san and Ritos-san are all right...

"Ahahaha! Such fire, I love it! Yer a regular firebrand!" Ignis-san suddenly brightens. "That's it! Yer me Firebrand! Let's be friends, 'kay Firebrand? I like ya! That Ritos fella is smothered in that temper of yers, it's great!" Her tail swishes in amusement.

"Firebrand... I like it!" Meri says happily.

"I don't. It doesn't suit you," Ritos-san replies, frowning. "And I'm not smothered in her temper." He sounds like he's hurting some... It must be from being petrified for so long... "More like her noise is making my head hurt."

"I'm gonna make more of you hurt if you keep being a jerk," Meri replies, annoyed.

"Already hurting enough, thanks."

"Ritos-san..."

He grins at me. "You don't have to worry about me, Ami. I'll be back to normal soon—though, your lovely smile would help~!"

E-eh?

"Hey, leave Ami alone!" Meri yells at him.

Ignis-san chuckles, going over to Ritos-san and Seth. "I get it now, angel-boy. Yer a real ladies' man. No wonder Firebrand attacks ya so much!" She taps his chest with a burning claw; Ritos-san lets out a small yelp and jumps away. "Well, Casanova, careful what ya say, or ya may just get burned."

"Don't say that after you've already burned me!"

Ignoring the angel, the Centurion turns and studies Seth. "And this young man 'ere... Did a fairytale spit ya out, Princey?"

Seth smiles. "I doubt I could live up to fairytale standards..." He replies kindly.

"Yeah, he's way too shy to get the girl," Meri teases.

"W-what's... I am not!"

"Then why aren't you dating Marty yet?"

"There's nothing between me and Marty...!"

"You're _so_ in denial..."

Heh heh, I can't wait to meet Marty in person... they talk about her a lot, and she sounds like a nice person.

Ignis-san awkwardly titters, now moving towards Dhaos-san and Victor-san. "You both..." She examines both their faces. "Tall, dark, and overly happy 'ere is Sir Smiles. The emotionless brick wall of silence reminds me of Mutesy, so he can be Quiet Guy."

"Hm, I believe those names are quite appropriate," Victor-san replies, still smiling. "What do you think, Dhaos?"

"...I don't care."

The Centurion simply shrugs, moving to me now. "Finally I come ta you, Ami..." She thinks, smiling kindly. "I actually really like yer name, but fer the sake of it, how does 'Ames' sound ta ya?"

Ames... I've never had a nickname before! "Thank you," I answer happily. "I really like it!"

"Annnnnddd now... What about me—" Nanashi-san asks expectantly.

Ignis-san frowns, cutting Nanashi-san off without even a little bit of emotion in her voice. "Bug."

"...WHAT?"

"That's actually..." Ritos-san trails off as the glasses continue.

"I'm not a bug! I'm a super-cool pair of glasses that helps everyone out immensely! First of all, I can see mana, which looks extremely awesome! In fact, if it wasn't for me, we probably wouldn't have found you! Not to mention my really neat teleportation powers! And I can help make artes stronger, which has helped Ami out a lot already! Also I have a really really useful database with tons of information! Plus there's my one-of-a-kind personality that everyone loves!"

"...He needs an 'off' switch..." Ritos-san mutters as he holds his head.

Ignis-san growls enormously loud, her face twisting up... quite scarily... "Shut yer non-existent trap, Bug! I don't care 'bout all that dribble yer spouting!" She holds her claw dangerously close to Nanashi-san, his lenses becoming covered in steam from the heat... Ahh, it really is way too much, especially with how hot it is already... I step back a little, though it doesn't really help... "Say another word, and I'll melt yer framing straight off..."

"...You can do that?" the glasses ask simply.

"I can melt _anything_... so don't try me patience. I do _want_ ta like ya eventually..." Ignis-san's tongue flicks out like a snake's, letting out a tiny exhale of fire. "I'm not a bad Centurion, 'kay. Just... lemme get used ta ya at—"

"That's _so cool_!" Nanashi-san bursts out, interrupting the Centurion. "I wanna see! Oh, but not on me!"

Ignis-san seems quite taken aback, blinking. She dryly tips her head at me. "...Is this a typical thing I should expect from him?"

"Y-yes..." I answer. "Nanashi-san is quite vocal..." Come to think of it, how does he talk...?

"It's quite strange, isn't it?" Victor-san offers. "He and Meri compete for showing the most emotion, yet he doesn't even have a face."

"I bet if I did, it'd be amazingly cool!"

The Centurion can't help but chuckle, shaking her head as she turns around. "Oi! I admit, perhaps yer not as bad as I make ya out ta be... But, yer still a Bug." She begins floating over to Rota-san.

"I-I'm not a bug..." Nanashi-san seems to sulk, judging from his tone.

Landing in front of Rota-san, the Centurion says, "Now that things are properly in order, shall we go about business?"

"Yes... I would like to request a pact with you, Ignis," Rota-san repeats.

Ignis-san nods, scratching her helmet with one claw. "Yes, right. Why do'ya want ta do that exactly again?" Rota-san opens her mouth to answer, but the Centurion cuts her off; "Ya know what, don't answer that. I'll take a wee peek about yer mind and memory meself and save ya the trouble." She floats again, locking eyes with the valkyrie. Ignis-san's eyes gleam before bursting into a glow. W-wow... Ignis-san can...

"...That reminds me scarily of the basilisk..." Ritos-san mutters.

"Ooh, scared?" the half-demon taunts.

"O-of course not!"

Ignis-san speaks, her eyes still blazing in golden light, "All right... So you and Sir Smiles are collecting us Centurions so ya can help out the good demon folk in the disgusting air of Niflheim. Ya want Lord Ratatosk to cooperate with ya so the door can be opened without releasing all hell into the world, which is why ya need us. Hmm... Hehehehe..." Ignis-san's eyes fade to normal, dropping on the ground. "Ya have very interesting inner feelings and thoughts; now I feel like I'm plain nosy."

Rota-san turns red, her pink eyes glancing nervously at the ground.

"Anyway, never mind that..." Ignis-san turns serious again. "So far, ya have woken up Tenebie and Sparkles—but Sparkles is the only one who's given ya a relic?"

Sparkles...? Meri giggles.

"Correct," Rota-san answers, her face fading back to a normal shade as she looks back up at Ignis-san.

The lizard thinks. "I like you, Lady Rota, so don't get me wrong here. Ya just seem... too soft to be worthy of me power, and of me pact."

Rota-san pauses a moment, her eyes closed. She then opens them, determined. "Is there anything I can do to prove myself?"

The Centurion stares at her intently. "...I need a summoner who has fire in their heart—a fierceness that can be called upon at any moment in which that person needs it to blaze brightest. Fire is seen as mass destruction. Used incorrectly, and it spreads and grows... It is untamed, wild, and will sear down anything you hold dear as punishment for your weaknesses." Ignis-san closes her eyes. "Fire's true nature and secrets, however, can be seen by someone who has a heart of flame. Fire is energy and life, not just power and rage. As such, a heart of flame is both kind and fierce. Sympathetic and determined. But, even my eyes cannot peer into someone's heart." She opens her eyes again, a flick of fire exhaling out of her mouth. "Are you willing to show me if the fire in you burns strong enough for my pact?"

"I am," Rota-san answers simply, sounding confident.

Ignis-san smiles, eyes tapering. "Alrighty, then! Since ya said Casanova over there fought a basilisk—excellent monster, by the way: very powerful, very loyal—how 'bout we do something appropriate?" She turns slightly, her scales shimmering. "See these scales of mine here? Retrieve one from my body, and I'll consider ya worthy enough a combatant for me relic."

"Very well."

"Ooh, a game of tag... Sounds like fun!" Meri cheers.

"Are we even allowed to participate? It's _Rota's_ trial..." Ritos-san points out.

"S-so?"

Ignis-san laughs. "Sorry guys, but Casanova would be correct," she tells us, sounding pumped and ready to start. "For this ta be a proper trial, Lady Rota must play Centurion tag on her own... Hehehe... Wouldn't be much of a test if everyone else prevented me from seeing the potential of the pact maker..."

"Aww..." Meri pouts, folding her arms across her chest.

"Then I suppose we'll leave it to you, Rota," Victor-san says, catching the summoner's attention. He smiles at her. "Do your best."

The valkyrie's face turns a little red as she nods. "I-I will, thank you..."

Ignis-san offers the half-demon a slight apologetic smile before closing her eyes. "Well now, I think we're good... Everyone else, I suggest ya'll head off to the top there." She points a claw up to the bridge above.

"Good luck, Rota!"

"You can do it, Rota!"

"Be careful, Rota-san!"

"With your lovely grace, there's no way you can lose~!"

"Thank you, everyone..." Rota offers us a smile as we walk back up the ramp and to the stairs up. I glance back; her smile... She's trying to be strong, but... she still looks so worried...

Once at the top, we all go to the edge and watch. Ignis-san smirks, her whole façade and aura blazing, changed. Her eyes burst open, glowing. "Wooo! I am so psyched! My body is tingling in excitement... I can't stand it..." I can feel Ignis-san's heat from here... Rota-san... "Take out yer weapon! Let's begin!"

Rota-san holds her hand up to her circlet, and her whip appears in it. She slams it down, hitting the ground with a loud crack. She gets into fighting stance, preparing herself.

The Centurion doesn't hesitate, lunging at Rota not even a second after she moves into her stance—the valkyrie, slightly shocked by the sudden attack, jumps back just in time to avoid Ignis-san's searing claws. She hits the ground instead—sparks flicking off from the impact of them as they skid across the ground—I cover my ears to protect myself from the painful screech made.

"Yer fast! Great, this'll just be all the more fun...! How about I quit holding back on ya!" The fire lizard growls loudly, every scale on her body igniting into flames...! She breathes in before releasing a smoldering stream of fire out of her mouth at Rota-san...! The valkyrie jumps back again, though this time she gets a little burnt; she flinches. Light appears under her feet as she stays airborn, floating. Quickly regaining her composure, she brings her whip up from the ground to hit the fire lizard—who opens her mouth and clamps down on Rota-san's whip. Fire shoots up the cord of the weapon as the Centurion yanks it forward; Rota-san yelps as she flies into the ground, though she manages to keep her grip on her weapon.

The valkyrie pushes herself up, jerking the whip towards her. Ignis-san growls at the young woman's sudden strength, leather slipping out of her jaws—that looks like it really hurts... The Centurion roars, hissing and shaking her head in pain—scales blazing even brighter now...! In fury, she tries to rush in and claw Rota-san again. As the valkyrie dodges back, she holds her left arm up in defense—blood spills, and her arm turns red from the heat. Biting her lip, she quickly strikes Ignis-san with her whip—"Double Lash!"—twice. The Centurion screeches in pain, the lashings leaving visible scratches in her helmet. She stumbles back, falling off the edge of the altar area and into the lava.

We wait a moment in silence. Fire's her element, right? So Ignis-san must be okay...

Fire suddenly bursts around Rota-san, and lava shoots towards her—the valkyrie takes to the air again, dodging, only to have another strand of lava attack her. I put Nanashi-san on and glance over at the lava—that red mana is no doubt Ignis-san! She's staying under the lava, moving over to the edge to crawl out.

Ignis-san finally reaches the top of the floor again—I take the glasses off. Her armor's bright orange from the immense heat of the lava now... The lava shooting at Rota-san stops as the Centurion shakes herself off from any lava still dripping from her body. She suddenly jumps into the air, biting her tail and forming a ball of flames, rolling towards Rota-san...! The valkyrie moves to the side—she's hit...! She hits the ground hard and slowly pushes herself up, flinching when she puts some weight on her left arm. She's breathing really hard...

Ignis-san slams into a pillar on the other side of the room, making it shake. She falls out of her ball and staggers to get up—looks like this battle's worn her out as well... She gathers fire in her mouth before shooting it out at the summoner—Rota-san...!

As the fire clears away, a light flashes below the valkyrie. Her circlet shines bright as she stares at the fire Centurion with determined eyes. "Lumen...!" she yells as a blinding light encompasses the room—I cover my eyes a moment.

I open my eyes to see the Centurion of light floating near my friend. _"Lady Rota...!"_ He sounds worried... Lumen-san floats down to the summoner, looking at her. _"You have been hurt... How..."_ He trails off, turning his attention to Ignis-san, who seems surprised, tired, and upset all at once. The light Centurion closes his eyes, somewhat calm, yet a distinct happiness in his voice as he says, _"You have called on me for my help. I am so humbled..."_

Rota-san pushes herself to her feet, floating a tiny bit off the ground. "I'm sorry for the trouble..."

Lumen-san bows. _"It is no trou—"_

"LUMEN!" The lizard suddenly leaps at the other Centurion, claws ready. Lumen-san moves away from Rota-san, knocking his opponent back with a barrier. Ignis-san shakes herself off and growls while bursts of light explode around her—which she dodges. She charges forward, jumping on Lumen-san's back—she bites one of his wings...!

The light Centurion flinches. _"...Tch!"_ His body explodes in light energy, painfully shoving Ignis-san off him. He quickly traps half her body in a barrier so she can't move. He shakes his head, landing on the ground while keeping up the barrier. _"Lady Rota... Subdue her now... Subdue her before she cannot control herself at all...!"_

Rota-san nods and hurries over to the lizard. She reaches down and grabs a scale—she flinches as she touches it, but regardless, she tightens her grip and pulls—finally retrieving the scale. She stands straight up again, looking like she's about to collapse. "I've gotten a scale... Now I request a pact."

Ignis-san huffs, her eyes losing their glow as her scales fade back to their normal color. "Huh...?" She blinks, seeming confused. "...Ah, me scale... It's over already? I thought we just started... I must be slipping..." She pauses, noticing her captivity. "...A barrier? What's going on?" Her eyes land on Lumen-san, the left edge of one of his wings leaking light mana. "Oooh, I get it! Ya summoned Sparkles on me!" She smiles at Rota-san. "Very clever! He's a bookworm and knows all the weak points. Plus, those dang barriers of his can never be shattered. I bet he didn't even fight as hard as he could've, either." The fire Centurion pants a little. "I commend ya fer usin' yer smarts. Ya win, and I'll give ya me relic."

The barrier fades as Lumen-san lets out a soft sigh.

Ignis-san stands up, her tone now serious. "Underneath that warm nature of yours, you have a real heart of flame. The passion that drives you is enough to impress me, and I will give you my powers." There's a burst of fire in front of the summoner—just as quickly, the fire disappears, showing a glimmering red relic. Like the light relic, it's a hexagon with strands of mana—though this time red mana—swirling around it. The symbol on it matches the one on the sphere that we saw when Rota-san awakened Ignis-san.

The valkyrie gently takes the thing in her hands, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Ignis. I promise I will not lose this fire in my heart..."

The fight's officially over—"Rota-san!" We all quickly run down to her. She looks even worse up close... especially her arm...

"Hold on, I'll heal you..." Ritos-san concentrates, a magic circle shining beneath him.

"I'll help as well," Seth says as a magic circle appears under him, too.

"Thank you..." Her feet finally touch the ground—she loses her balance and falls—Victor-san catches her.

"Be careful," he says as he helps her stand straight again.

"Y-yes, thank you..."

"First Aid!"

"Healer!"

As the spells hit, the valkyrie's wounds close a bit, and her skin starts fading back to a normal shade—though the spells aren't enough to heal her completely.

"Ya seem ta have taken a real fancy to Lady Rota, Sparkles!" Ignis-san speaks up; I glance over to see her talking to Lumen-san. "Never actually seen ya use yer own power since the last pact maker who took ta yer liking."

Lumen-san doesn't respond...

"What's the matter? Are ya mad at me or something?"

The light Centurion calmly shakes his head. _"No, not at all. If anything, I myself am to be thrown scorn at forgetting how sharp your teeth are..."_

"...A-ahh..." Ignis-san glances at the bite mark in Lumen-san's wing, which is still losing light mana... "D-did I do that? I'm sorry... I didn't mean ta... I didn't know. I got so fired up and all. You know how that happens ta me. I can't help meself."

_"...It is fine."_

"Ya still sound upset... Ya know, I would've won if she hadn't summoned ya. That might be cheatin'—"

Lumen-san turns to her, looming over her. _"That is what you deserve for calling me 'Sparkles'..."_ he says softly, yet strongly, sounding actually... angry... _"Do it one more time, and those all-seeing eyes of yours shall be blinded..."_

The fire lizard shrinks back. "G-got it! I got it!" She nervously crawls over to us, a little freaked out... "L-Lumen is in a wee bit of a bad mood... I think I ought ta head to me relic now." She stretches, flinching a little from the pain. "I could use the rest... But, before that, ya should hold on ta me scale, Lady Rota. It's a very powerful hide I have, ya see. As long as ya have that, fire will stray away from ya. Call it divine protection of the Fire Centurion."

"Thank you... I'll take good care of it," Rota-san says. "Please rest well, Ignis."

Ignis-san moves forward to affectionately nudge Rota-san's hand again. "Sorry fer roughing ya up so much... Call me whenever ya want ta see me. Catch ya later, Lady Rota." She backs up before being engulfed in flames. The flames grow smaller and slowly fizzle out, the fire Centurion nowhere in sight.

Rota-san smiles softly for a moment. She then turns to Lumen-san. "Lumen... Thank you for your help."

He flaps his wings, awkwardly trying to stay level in the air. _"It is not a problem. I am your summon, am I not? It is an honor to aid you. I enjoy your company no matter what situation may lie around it. So... I should thank you for calling on me this first time."_ He bows... Heh, he sounds really happy.

The valkyrie smiles at him. "I'll be sure to call on you again. Though your wing... Will you be all right...?"

Lumen-san tips his head as he closes his eyes, embarrassed. _"Oh, it is nothing really. Nary a real scratch... 'Twas the least I could do to ensure you were not hurt more than you had been..."_ He shows her his wing, trying to reassure her.

"I should be the one protecting you..." she murmurs.

The Centurion shakes his head, turning his wing to pat Rota-san gently on the head with one of its longer segments. _"'Tis not true, Lady Rota... I need no protection, and if anything, I wish to be the one repaying you for waking me up. Besides, I do not die nor do I feel pain as long as long as you all would. So do not fret."_ He stops, floating up a little. _"Continue to smile. Such a regretful face is unbecoming."_

Rota-san nods. "I will..." A smile returns to her face as she stares up at the shining Centurion. "Thank you for everything, Lumen..."

Lumen-san nods. _"My pleasure. I shall be going, then. I have gone over my time as it is. A warning, though... As you may have noticed, Ignis is a good Centurion, but she has a bit of a problem controlling her impulses when she is enjoying a good fray... Do be careful that when you summon her for battle, she does not stay too long."_

The summoner nods. "I understand."

_"May I see you again soon, Lady Rota."_ He vanishes in a small burst of calm light, like before. I watch the sparkles die out... It really is so pretty...

"So now you have two Centurions..." Victor-san speaks up. "I told Suzu that we'd meet her at Mjollnia Cave next, so we should head there now. We can eat and sleep on a boat."

Seth nods. "That sounds like a good plan. Rota, will you be able to make it that far?"

"Yes... I'm fine, thanks to you and Ritos-san..."

"Are you sure?" I ask—she still sounds exhausted... "You shouldn't push yourself, especially with how hot it is..."

"Hey, is it just me, or is it not quite as hot as before?" Meri asks. Ah, she's right...

"That's true..."

"Maybe it's because Rota has Ignis' scale?" Seth suggests.

"Heh heh, if that's the case, then I like Ignis even more now!"

"Speaking of Ignis, that fight was really something!" Nanashi-san speaks up. "Hey Rota, think you can tell me about it?"

"What do you want to know...?"

"Those claws... Did you find out what they're really made of? And her fire—tell me how that felt!"

"U-um, well..."

"Nanashi, isn't that kinda rude? That really hurt her..." Meri points out.

"A-ah... I guess so..."

"Perhaps you can ask Ignis sometime..." the valkyrie offers.

"Really?"

"I think that'd be torture for Ignis..." mutters the half-demon.

"For once, I agree with you," Ritos-san adds.

"Heeeeyyy, what's that supposed to mean?"

Heh heh... We all laugh a little at the glasses.

"I was about to help you get out of here faster, too."

"Riiight, like you can do that..." Meri says disbelievingly.

"I can! There happens to be a crack in space-time nearby, so I can warp us out of here!" the glasses stubbornly inform her.

"Wow, really? Let's do that, then! I want to see exactly how this warping thing works!" Ritos-san happily suggests.

I take the glasses out of my pocket. "Thank you, Nanashi-san! That's a really good idea!"

"It's not a problem! But first, I have a few rules," he says, his tone growing serious. "This is farther than when I warped Ami... which means we're going through the space-time rift. You're all to stay close—no wandering off on your own, no matter what. Understood?"

"Yeah."

"Got it."

"I won't."

"And second," Nanashi-san continues, "no touching _anything_ unusual. You're to follow my instructions at _all_ times."

"We will already, sheesh..." Meri folds her arms across her chest, annoyed. "This is supposed to be a warp, right? So let's go already!"

"...Right..."

I put the glasses on and take a look around—there's the crack. "This way, everyone!" I tell them as I walk over. The others stick close to me, and I reach out, grabbing the crack—

Darkness surrounds us as we enter the rift between space and time.

**Meri received the title of Firebrand. It's a nickname given to a girl with fire in her soul.**

**Ritos received the title of Casanova. With his smooth words, he knows how to reach a woman's heart.**

**Seth received the title of Princey. With his regal looks, he seems just like a hero from a fairytale.**

**Victor received the title of Sir Smiles. Tall, dark, and overly happy... It's a title given to one who's always smiling.**

**Dhaos received the title of Quiet Guy. It's a title given to the silent and emotionless, well-deserving of a quiet nickname.**

**Ami received the title of Ames. Nicknames can be hard for people with short names... It's a title given for Ami's first nickname.**

**Nanashi received the title of Bug. Careful; your running mouth is already starting to annoy the Centurion of fire.**

**Rota received the title of Flaming Heart. With determination, she moves forward, no matter what the obstacle. No one can ever extinguish that special fire in her heart.**

**Rota learned Double Lash.**

**Rota can now summon Ignis.**

**Obtained Ignis' Scale.**

**Obtained the Fire Relic.**

**Ritos joined the party.**


	18. C15: Adaptable Demon

**Finally~ This took too long to get through. I blame Victor (you'll see why at the end). Though, Loki didn't help, either.**

**Oh, and I must warn you—next month is National Novel Writing Month, and I already have a plan for what I'm gonna write. Which means I probably won't write much Teishi until December. I'll try to get another chapter or two out before then, but I've been putting a lot of energy into planning so far...**

**Well, for now, enjoy the chapter! Ah, and please welcome Keden! ...sort of...**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. Don't own it. Though I do own Keden!**

**PS: As for the cooking incidents... Meri did something my sister once did, and um... I... may be guilty of Marty's fault... maybe...**

**-Chapter 15: Adaptable Demon-**

This is the first time I've actually stood in the rift... we usually just passed through. I take Nanashi-san off so I can see properly—it's dark, yet I can still see everyone perfectly fine. There are balls of light glowing all around, in a variety of colors... Some are bright, while others are dim.

"So this is the rift...?" Ritos-san asks as he glances around.

Ah... there are voices... It's almost like...

"T-this place isn't haunted or something... is it...?"

"I-I hope not..." Ahh, Meri just had to say it...

"Don't worry, I doubt there are any ghosts here!" Nanashi-san assures us. "It's not like just anyone can even _get_ to the rift, much less die here."

Not just anyone, huh... I look around—the rift looks to keep going on, but I see no one... not even...

"Ami? Is something wrong?" the swordsman questions.

"...A friend of ours should be somewhere in here..."

"Oh right, you mentioned that before," Ritos-san says. "Sardon, right?"

"Yeah..." I step forward. "Sardon-san!" I call out. "Sardon-san, are you here?"

We wait in silence a moment. There's no answer... Sardon-san...

"Don't lose hope, Ami!" Nanashi-san speaks up. "It could be that your friend can't hear you yet... According to my database, time and space make all sorts of weird leaps around here—going forwards, backwards, or just jumping to a new place altogether. That's why we have to stay close together—we don't want someone to get caught in the space suddenly distorting around us. Though, from the sound of it, staying close together might not even save us..."

"So then if sounds do the same, then—"

"Sardon-san!" Ah...! T-that was my own voice, but it was so loud, right next to me...

Nanashi-san laughs. "Haha, that answer your question?"

"Y-yes..."

"What exactly are these balls of light?" Victor-san asks as he reaches out to one.

"D-don't touch that!" the glasses yell out; the demon stops and turns to us.

"Oh? Is it dangerous?"

"W-well... They're basically bits of information. You could get lost if you touch it."

"How interesting..." Victor-san stares at the ball of light near him a moment longer, considering.

"We should leave this place as soon as possible," Dhaos-san suggests.

"But what about Sardon-san—"

"There doesn't seem to be much we can do at the moment."

"Ah... I guess so..." Still...

"Nanashi, how do we leave this place?"

"Right; Ami, put me back on." I do as the glasses instruct. "Now then, um... Ah, see that mana trail?" I see the one he's talking about—multicolored mana swirling ahead, going in one direction. "Follow it! Come to think of it, that's probably safer, since we'll know ahead of time if there's a break in space!" I follow the trail, the others staying close by me. It curves around—ah, there's a crack, which the mana's leaving out of! "Perfect!" Nanashi-san cheers. "Take that—hopefully it'll get us where we need to go!"

"What do you mean 'hopefully'?" Meri demands.

"Well, this is my first time teleporting over a long distance on purpose... but if my calculations are correct..."

"Okay, _never_ say that," Ritos-san commands. "It'll only lead to bad things..."

"It'll be fine! Let's just see where it goes!"

That's not very convincing... but we don't have much of a choice now... I grab the crack...

The rift clears away—we're now standing on grass in the middle of the night. There are mountains nearby... That might actually be our destination, but...

"I'm starving..." Ritos-san complains.

"Y-yeah, I suddenly feel lot worse..." Meri agrees.

I glance over at Rota-san—she looks like she's really going to collapse... "Maybe we should set up camp here," I suggest.

"Agreed," Seth speaks up. "I'll find some firewood."

"I'll help." The four guys walk off to fine some wood, while the rest of us sit down.

"Why do we feel so much worse now...?" the valkyrie asks. "We weren't in the rift that long, were we...?"

"That doesn't matter," Nanashi-san says. "As I said, time is random in the rift—it must've taken your bodies forward in time some, making you feel hungry and tired. Incidentally, we also came out in the middle of the night, but I'm guessing it's possible we could've come out early in the morning."

"...I'm beginning to not like this rift..." Meri mutters.

"According to my database, it's a very dangerous place. Useful for warping, but we should still be careful when we use it."

"Even if it's dangerous, you'll protect us there, right?" I ask with a smile.

"Of course! Just leave the crazy stuff to me!"

"Gladly," the half-demon inputs.

"...I'm not sure I like how quickly you agreed to that..."

Heh heh... "So, Meri," I say as I turn my attention to her, "we still have to find your sister Marty, right? What's she like?"

"Well, she and I look just alike, but our personalities are completely different... Marty's kinda quiet and stays in the background..." A small smile forms on Meri's face as she talks. "Even so... she's always watching out for us."

"You three are triplets, correct?" Rota-san asks.

"Yeah. Marty's the oldest of us, and Mark's the youngest." She sighs as she leans back. "Mom's taken care of all of us... though she wasn't alone. Still... it's no doubt been hard on her, especially since Mark's sick..."

"I don't mean to pry, but you said your father disappeared..." Nanashi-san speaks up.

"That's right. My family says he was killed, but they never found his body..."

"Killed? By who?"

"...Hades."

Ah...

"But... no one's seen him, either..." She sits up and hugs her knees. "I don't know what's true anymore, and I don't really care. I hate them both, and that's all there is to it."

We sit in silence for a moment... an awkward silence...

Dhaos-san and Ritos-san return with firewood. "Hey, everything okay?" the healer asks.

"Y-yeah..."

"...You're a terrible liar." After setting the wood down, he walks over and sits next to me. "Well, don't worry, Ami... I'm always here to comfort a sweet girl like you~!"

"I'm not the one who needs comforting... Meri is..."

"...Yeah, that's not happening."

"Good! I don't need comforting anyway! And even if I did, I wouldn't want you!" Meri retorts.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!"

"I'm sure it is! Do you even know how to treat a girl like a person?"

"Why you...! Of course I do!"

Dhaos-san sits down with a sigh. Heh heh... Even if it isn't really comforting... Meri already sounds better...

"Yeah right! You're not even that handsome!"

"Hey, I'm quite charming!"

"Maybe to a rock!"

Seth carries some firewood over. "I see the show's already started."

"This isn't a show!" Meri and Ritos-san chorus.

"Then do you mind starting a fire, Meri?"

"Fine, fine." She pulls out a tonfa and closes her eyes, concentrating. "Scorching Edge!" Fire envelops her weapon. She walks over to the pile of wood and lights it on fire. Stepping back, she allows the fire on her weapon to fade before putting it back in its holder.

Rota pulls some ingredients out of her circlet. "I'll cook tonight," I offer as I walk over.

"I can help," Seth speaks up as he also comes over. "What are we making?"

"Um... Looks like we can make beef stew."

"All right. I'll set up something to hold the pot with if you'll go ahead and start chopping the vegetables."

"Okay!" I get to work.

"Is there anything I can help with...?" the valkyrie asks.

"Don't worry about it! Just rest and let us handle the food!"

"I can help with something," Meri offers.

Seth turns to her, considering. "...Will you follow my instructions this time?"

"O-of course!"

"Eh? What happened last time?" Nanashi-san questions.

"It's nothing!"

"Meri used the wrong kind of chocolate chips or _something_ in a batch of brownies... They came out an odd tan shade and tasted absolutely terrible."

"Shut up... At least I'm not as bad as Marty," Meri says.

"I'm almost scared to ask," Ritos-san speaks up, "but what'd she make?"

"Pretty much everything she cooks is bad... The worst, though; she once made orange gels so hard that you'd break your teeth trying to eat them..."

"Is that... possible...?"

"I didn't think it was 'til she pulled it off... They didn't seem to have any taste to them, either... Not to mention they were messy clumps and somehow _burnt_," the half-demon explains.

"Geez... How are you two still alive?"

"Luckily, Mark can cook," Seth speaks up as he puts some beef in a pot. He starts cooking it while I continue chopping the carrots.

"Where is Victor?" Dhaos-san asks. Eh? He's not back yet...

"I'm not sure... Maybe he got lost?"

The blond haired angel stands. "I will find him."

"Do you think he's in trouble...?"

"Perhaps..."

"...That's not why you want to find him, though..." Seth concludes.

"...I don't trust him."

"Eh? Why?" I ask. "Victor-san's a nice person... He and Rota-san saved me before."

Dhaos-san doesn't answer. After a moment, he says, "I'll be back shortly." He then walks away.

There's an awkward silence again...

"So, Seth," Ritos-san speaks up after a moment. "You know Antidote, right?"

"That's right."

"What sort of things can it cure?"

"Just basic poisons, really. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't know any artes like that, so I thought it might be useful... Mind teaching me?"

"Not at all. Dinner should be ready soon, so I'll teach you after we eat."

"Thanks."

All right, I'm done chopping vegetables. I put them in the pot and the swordsman continues cooking.

Ah, there's Dhaos-san and Victor-san! They walk over. "I apologize; my sense of direction isn't exactly the best," the demon explains with a smile. He adds his logs to the fire and then sits down.

"We're just glad you're all right," I tell him.

"So exactly where are we headed now?" Ritos-san asks.

"Mjollnia Cave," I answer. "It's also called Volt's Cave."

"Volt...? So it's a lightning elemental area?"

"Yep! I've never been there before, but I heard that there are some electric generators you have to turn on."

"I've heard that as well," Seth speaks up. "Don't you need the Sorcerer's Ring to power them up...?"

"Ah..." Come to think of it, I have _no_ idea who has the Sorcerer's Ring...

"I've been told that lightning spells also work... as long as you give it power," Meri explains.

"Really? Does anyone know lightning spells?"

No one's answering...

"Doesn't Suzu know Merciless Thunder...?" Nanashi-san points out.

"It seems we're making a habit of missing the person we need," Victor-san says pleasantly. "Perhaps I can be of assistance, though."

"Do you know any lightning artes?" I ask.

"Not yet. However..." He holds up his ball. "All I need to do is absorb some lightning mana into this, and then I will be able to create a new arte."

"How does that work exactly...?" the glasses ask. Seth serves everyone dinner as the two talk.

"Keden made this ball for me. It has some elven runes on it, which allow it to gather mana—I can then use that mana to create elemental artes. When I first came to Aselia, I couldn't use any artes, so this is a good medium that allows me to grow accustom to the mana of this world as well as increase my abilities."

"Wow... I wish I could study it properly... How do you choose what weapons to make?"

"When I lived in the daemonium, my specialty was creating weapons from my own energy. All I have to do is transfer that energy through the ball first."

"...That's so cool. I wanna see the raw demon version!"

"That's more difficult to do—mana weakens my demon powers. However, perhaps one day I can show you."

"Yeah, I can't wait!"

Wow, this stew... "This is amazing, Seth!"

"It's nothing special, really..."

"This is really good..." Rota-san says with a kind smile.

"Ah..."

"Haha, just accept the compliments, Seth!" the half-demon jokes.

"...Y-yes... Thank you."

"Do you all mind if Loki-chan joins us?" Rota-san asks.

"That's fine. It looks like we have some extra beef if he wants it," I offer.

"Thank you." There's a flash of light—the wolf demon appears next to Rota-san.

"Hello," he greets as I prepare a plate for him. I set it down in front of him, returning the greeting.

"You're the wolf Rota summoned against that basilisk..." the swordsman concludes.

"Correct. My name's Loki." He begins eating.

"And... you're a summon spirit?" asks Ritos.

"No. I'm a demon."

"A demon? Why does a valkyrie have a pact with a demon?" Meri questions.

"Rota-sama saved me, so I decided to stay with her and protect her."

"She saved you...?"

"It was thanks to Victor-san that we were there in the first place," Rota-san explains. "He had heard of a battle between humans and demons and wanted to check for survivors... It was the first time he had invited me to go somewhere with him. When we got there, Loki-chan was the only one alive... I tried to take care of him best I could, but it was Victor-san who suggested I made a pact with him so I could take him to a proper healer..."

"You helped me, just like you promised..." Loki-san nuzzles the summoner. "Thank you..."

"Ah..."

"Heh heh, that's really sweet..." I say. Rota-san and Loki-san seem really close... and they definitely care about each other a lot.

"Watch it, Victor; you might have some competition~!" Meri jokes.

"Competition? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," the demon replies, still smiling. I can't tell if he's serious or not... I glance over at Rota-san; her face is a little red...

"Well," Ritos-san speaks up as he sets his plate down. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm exhausted."

"Yes. We should get some sleep now," Dhaos-san suggests.

"Good idea."

We quickly clean up the camp, and Dhaos-san douses the fire with Aqua Edge. We settle down around the camp, each finding a place to rest. I set Nanashi-san down on a small log. "You should be safe here," I tell him.

"Thanks. Just don't forget about me."

"I won't," I assure him with a smile. I back away and make myself comfortable. Ahh... I didn't realize just how tired I am...

_"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?"_

_Eh? I don't know that voice... I sit up, though my body's aching. There's an elder elf man sitting next to me—he has light green hair pulled back in a low ponytail. "Who are you?" Wait, that's not my voice... That's..._

_"My name's Keden. Keden Vener. You're lucky I found you... Anyone else might've killed you," the man answers. "You're a demon, correct?"_

_"...Yes. But why, may I ask, is an elf helping me? I've heard that elves shut themselves off from other races."_

_"I'm a researcher. If I want to learn about other species, then I can't discriminate, now can I?" He pauses. "What's your name?"_

_"...Victor Andskot."_

_"And you're from Niflheim, correct?"_

_"Perhaps. What makes you say that?" I see... This must be a memory of Victor-san's..._

_"The mana of this world is hurting you, for one. You seemed to be in a lot of pain when I found you."_

_"My body simply has to adapt," the demon replies._

_"Until then, you're vulnerable, correct?"_

_Victor-san doesn't reply—his eyes watch Keden-san._

_"Your friend has been having a bit of an easier time, though... I'm wondering if it has to do with species or power."_

_"I come from a strong linage," Victor-san explains. "My companion's all right, then?"_

_"Yes. He's asleep, though—he exhausted himself."_

_"That sounds like him." There's another pause before the demon continues, "Does it not bother you that we're from Niflheim?"_

_"Quite the contrary... I'm interested in studying Niflheim, but I can't go there for myself. It's possible that I can help you out in Aselia in exchange for research information," the elf proposes._

_Victor-san blinks. "...You're willing to make an agreement with me so soon...? Hm, you certainly are strange..."_

_"I'll take that as a compliment. However, I have one question for you before we get any farther."_

_"Just one?"_

_"For now," Keden-san answers with a small smile. "Now then... Why did you come to Aselia?"_

_"Ahh, yes. The motive question. You need to make sure I'm not out to eat humans and elves or whatever nonsense it is nowadays, correct? We don't need human meat to live, so you know."_

_"Well I should hope not, or you'd all die of starvation in Niflheim..."_

_They both chuckle. As the small laughter fades, Victor-san answers, "I'm here to save my sister."_

_"Your sister? Is she in Aselia?"_

_"Oh no. I'm afraid that would be a disaster—she might actually try eating people—after turning them into living toys."_

_"Eh?" The smile on Keden-san's face fades into a frown._

_"She's been turned insane by the mist in Niflheim. It may not hurt our bodies, but it has the potential to make us those bloodthirsty beasts of legend." Victor-san's voice is serious... He's more serious than I've ever heard him before... "I want to save her—I want her to be able to smile again."_

_"...I see... And you think you can find a cure on Aselia?"_

_"Perhaps... or perhaps the cure might _be_ Aselia. Getting her out of that mist may be enough... but first I need to study this world and make sure it's safe. ...Hm, I guess that means we're studying similar things, then," the demon says, his voice suddenly more light-hearted—like normal. "Perhaps we should work together on that research."_

_"...Yes, I guess so. What about your friend?"_

_"Safety in numbers, or so they say. I knew I'd be in danger upon coming here, so I invited him along. There are quite a few demons that would kill for a chance to come here."_

_"And probably kill when they arrived as well. I trust I won't see any such attempt from you or him."_

_"You needn't worry about us. We'd much prefer to stay peaceful."_

_"Well, that's good to hear, but I hope you won't be offended if I take a few precautions?"_

_"I believe you already have the upper hand," Victor-san points out. "In my current state, I doubt I can even summon a dagger... But please, do whatever you feel the need to do."_

_"Thank you. Now that everything's been decided, why don't I show you around?"_

_"Yes, that sounds good." The demon pushes himself up, a little wobbly—Keden-san gives him a hand. I didn't realize just how hard it was for Victor-san to come to Aselia before... Once Victor-san steadies himself, Keden-san walks to the door._

_The elf stops, turning back. "Actually, there is one more thing I want."_

_"Oh? What is it?"_

_"...Show me your demon form."_

**Nanashi received the title of Space-Time Calculator. If my calculations are correct... then this is how the rift works...**

**Meri received the title of Improv Cooking Disaster. She's fine if she follows the instructions, but leave her to improvise and you'll be sorry.**

**Seth received the title of Skilled Cook. Even without a recipe, he can make a meal that tastes pretty good.**

**Victor received the title of Adaptable Demon. Due to his strong lineage, he's had to endure a lot to adapt to the mana of Aselia.**


End file.
